Getty The Kansas City Chiefs released Damon Arnette after his arrest in late January 2022.
After earning a second chance in the NFL, recent Kansas City Chiefs signee cornerback Damon Arnette is in trouble once again. This time authorities are involved.
Arnette, 25, was arrested overnight Friday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada on Saturday, January 29, on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying or concealing a gun without a permit, possession of marijuana or cannabis, and possession of a class one or two level controlled substance, according to jail records.
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Arnette was arrested in wake of a report of a person with a gun Friday at 5:45 p.m. at Park MGM, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which spoke with Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Justin Byers.
Mark Surrell, 20, was also arrested in connection with the call, the Review-Journal reported, and was booked on carrying and concealing a weapon without a permit, per jail records. Both Arnette and Surell are being held without bail and are expected to appear in court on Sunday, January 30.
Kansas City signed Arnette to a reserve/futures contract on January 20. However, in the wake of his arrest Friday the Chiefs released the defender, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. The Chiefs had signed Arnette “with a commitment to intense counseling and zero tolerance,” he wrote.
The #Chiefs immediately released CB Damon Arnette after his arrest Friday night in Las Vegas for assault with a deadly weapon, per source.
Arnette Faced a Lawsuit in 2021 & Was Released by Las Vegas
Arnette, a first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, was one of several distractions Las Vegas dealt with during the 2021 season.
On October 5, Arnette was sued in Clark County (Nevada) District Court by a woman who said Arnette’s car hit her and injured her on October 14, 2020, at an intersection near the Raiders’ Las Vegas headquarters, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
TMZ Sports first reported about the lawsuit on November 5. On the following day, November 6, a video of Arnette brandishing a gun circulated on social media. In the video, Arnette appears to threaten to kill an unidentified person.
On November 8, the Raiders released Arnette.
Source: The #Raiders are releasing former first-round draft pick CB Damon Arnette.
Arnette played in four games for the Raiders in 2021, recording 4 tackles and 1 pass defended, according to Pro Football Reference.
Mayock on Arnette’s Release
Following Arnette’s release in November, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock – who was fired on January 17 after three seasons – spoke about Arnette’s situation.
“Today we waived Damon Arnette,” Mayock said during a media conference on November 8. “Very painful decision. We spent significant time, effort, and resources trying to help him in all facets of his life. There have been a series of bad decisions over the last year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand the video of Damon with a gun threatening to take a life. The content was unacceptable, contrary to our values, and our owner, Mark Davis, has been very clear and very consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. The bottom line: The Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior.
“On a personal note, I’ve talked to Damon, his dad, a couple of others in his life. From my perspective, he’s a very talented young man with a good heart. [If] he cleans up his life, I know he can make a living in the NFL. But not now with the Raiders.”
Here’s #Raiders GM Mike Mayock explaining the decision to release CB Damon Arnette: “We cannot stand for the video of Damon Arnette with a gun threatening to take a life. The content was unacceptable.”
Bringing in players like Arnette, who disrupted the culture in Las Vegas, was one of the main reasons Mayock was relieved of his duties as the Raiders GM.
Despite getting another chance — this time with a Super Bowl contender — Arnette is a free agent for the second time since October.