Bengals RB Joe Mixon will not be indicted, officers say

CINCINNATI — Bengals operating again Joe Mixon is not going to be indicted for a capturing that occurred close to his residence, native officers mentioned Thursday.

Mixon’s residence was a part of against the law scene investigation the place a teen was shot whereas enjoying “Nerf wars,” a sport involving toy weapons. County prosecutors allege that Lamonte Brewer, who’s listed because the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, Shalonda, fired 11 bullets on the teenager, who’s Mixon’s neighbor.

Brewer was indicted on a number of felonies — one depend of assault, one depend of tampering with proof and two counts of getting weapons below incapacity. Shalonda Mixon was indicted on two felonies — tampering with proof and obstruction of justice. The Bengals operating again is not going to be topic to any felony punishment.

“No charges are being filed against him,” Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers mentioned at a information convention in Cincinnati. “He did not commit a crime.”

Mixon, who has performed for the Bengals for six years, cooperated with authorities and gave an announcement, Powers mentioned.

The photographs had been fired from Mixon’s yard, based on the incident report and the prosecutor’s workplace, with considered one of them putting {the teenager} within the foot.

Powers introduced within the toy gun that was believed to be held by the teenager throughout the incident. The county believes injury on the entrance of the toy is from the place a bullet entered and exited the piece of kit.

The incident occurred round 8:30 p.m. on March 6, based on the incident report. While the lighting was minimal, Powers believed that Brewer, Joe Mixon and Mixon’s bodily therapist, Sean Pena, ought to have been in a position to discern the distinction between an actual gun and a toy gun.

“All were out there long enough for their eyes to adjust and acclimate to the darkness to be able to distinguish that these were toy guns,” Powers mentioned.

The “Nerf wars” sport, Powers mentioned, entails highschool college students enjoying video games with toy weapons in neighborhoods, normally in suburban parts of city. Mixon instructed authorities that he was on alert after he obtained loss of life threats following a menacing incident in January through which Mixon allegedly pointed a gun at a lady on a roadway. The case was promptly dismissed.

County officers mentioned that surveillance video confirmed Mixon standing with Brewer in his yard. Mixon’s sister was seen accumulating shell casings earlier than she and Brewer tried to go away the scene.

Joe Mixon was seen carrying a firearm however didn’t hearth any photographs, the county mentioned in an announcement. Mixon had a proper to the weapon as a authorized gun proprietor.

In an announcement launched by his agent, Mixon and Pena feared for the security of these within the residence, together with Shalonda Mixon’s 5 kids. Mixon’s agent and the county each mentioned Mixon known as the staff’s director of safety to report the incident as quickly because it occurred. The Bengals haven’t acknowledged a number of requests for remark because the capturing initially occurred.

“When another individual discharged a firearm, Joe interceded to stop the person discharging a firearm,” Peter Schaffer, Mixon’s agent, mentioned in an announcement. “Joe hates that a young adult was injured during this incident.”

Schaffer urged dad and mom, authorities and college districts to judge the “Nerf wars” sport and discover methods to play it safely throughout daylight.

If convicted, Brewer can face a most of 20 years in individual. In an announcement, Powers mentioned it was “a miracle the child was not killed” and that somebody comparable to Brewer “deserves to spend as many years behind bars as the law will allow.”