A Cincinnati judge found Bengals running back Joe Mixon not guilty of aggravated menacing charges on Thursday.
Mixon, 27, had been accused of pointing a gun at a woman during a downtown road rage incident on Jan. 21.
“After a careful review of all of the evidence presented at trial, including the stipulations and the testimony presented today, I cannot say the city sustained its burden,” Hamilton County Municipal Court judge Gwen Bender said before rendering her verdict.
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, issued a statement on behalf of his client, who had entered a not-guilty plea in April.
“Knowing the facts, knowing Joe as a person and having tremendous faith in the legal system’s ability to get to the truth, we had no doubt of the eventual outcome,” Schaffer said. “This vindicates Joe as a person and that is what’s most important. Back to the business of football. Huge shout out to both Joe’s legal team and Mark Herron, the Bengals’ security director.”
According to police, the alleged incident happened shortly before Mixon was due to be at Paycor Stadium to leave with the team for a road playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
The initial charge against Mixon was dismissed in early February before being refiled by Cincinnati police on April 7.
“The organization is pleased that this matter is now behind everyone, and we look forward to an exciting season with Joe being an important part of the football team,” the Bengals said in a statement.
Heading into his seventh season with Cincinnati, Mixon has rushed for 5,378 yards and 40 touchdowns and added 231 catches for 1,763 yards and 10 scores. He has topped 1,000 rushing yards three times.
The Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. A potential first-round pick, he dropped in the draft after concerns about his character. While at Oklahoma in 2014, Mixon pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge for punching a woman in the face.
Mixon, who signed a four-year, $48 million extension in 2020, agreed to restructure his deal last month. He was due to make $10.1 million this season with a $12.8 million cap hit. The revised deal freed up cash and cap room for the Bengals.
–Field Level Media
