Report: Photographer in Alleged Rashee Rice Assault Requests for Charges to be Dropped

The photographer who alleged he was assaulted by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has reportedly asked for those charges to be dropped.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) catches a deep pass as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) defends in the third quarter during a Week 17 NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs won, 25-17. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been in the headlines through much of the NFL offseason, with a multi-vehicle crash in late March leading to eight felony charges for the second-year wide receiver. In May, Rice was allegedly involved in an incident at a nightclub in Dallas where a photographer reportedly accused Rice of hitting him, while later reports cast doubt on some elements of the case. On Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the photographer in question has asked for charges to be dropped.

"Rashee Rice has other issues, obviously, that he's facing with the Kansas City Chiefs," Pelissero began. "He had the car crash in which he faces eight felony charges for his role there. There was also a recent accusation by a photographer about him assaulting the photographer on his way out of a club. I actually can tell you the photographer recently dropped those charges. He gave an affidavit to the Dallas Police Department saying it was a misunderstanding, [he] wants the charges dropped. You still have the things related to the auto incident that is going to have to play out here for Rashee Rice. Then on top of that, NFL discipline, but at least for now, back with the Chiefs."

Seth Keysor of The Chief in the North and "Only Weird Games" on KC Sports Network, who is a lawyer in the state of Minnesota, shared his perspective on Twitter/X Tuesday morning.

(Editor's note: Some of Keysor's tweets have been combined or cosmetically edited for clarity in this format. To read Keysor's original thread, click here.)

"The alleged victim has reportedly submitted an affidavit to the Dallas police saying it was a 'misunderstanding' and asking that charges 'dropped,'" Keysor wrote. "A few points of clarity from a prosecutor standpoint: First, the State makes charging decisions, not alleged victims. It's a common misnomer that alleged victims 'drop' charges. That's not their call. They ask that the State not charge or ask that charges be dismissed once filed, but the ultimate discretion is the State's. It's unfortunately common in DV [domestic violence] cases (for example) that alleged victims will ask charges not be filed or be dismissed, and the State still proceeds. Again, that's just to clarify the procedural stance. Odds are in a case like this the State won't proceed if the alleged victim is asking them not to and/or recanting his initial statement. But there's an off-chance they do if they think they've got the evidence regardless of the alleged victim's request. This is all just to clear up a common mistake that gets made about how criminal charging works. All that said, it appears that this incident may turn out to not amount to much in the legal system. My guess is the NFL still looks into it given everything else."

Later, Keysor added another note.

"I'm already seeing a lot of people talking about the false premise that because an alleged victim wants charges dropped that means he either made it up OR there's a financial settlement," Keysor said. "There are plenty of other reasons people ask that stuff gets dropped.

I'm already seeing a lot of people talking about the false premise that because an alleged victim wants charges dropped that means he either made it up OR there's a financial settlement.

There are plenty of other reasons people ask that stuff gets dropped. https://t.co/4zAiEJDcMo

— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) May 21, 2024

As the Chiefs began their latest phase of offseason activities on Monday, Rice was present and practicing with the team.

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