Kansas City Chiefs coach Dave Merritt was arrested one day before the NFL draft, with details emerging on the battery allegations he now faces.
The Kansas City Star, citing court documents, reported that the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint against the 54-year-old Merritt on Thursday morning. The arrest comes as the Chiefs face a pivotal moment, looking to use the NFL draft to kick-start a rebuild after missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Chiefs Coach Accused of Battery on Daughter
As the report noted, police accused Merritt of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, which constitutes a domestic violence offense, according to court documents.
“Merritt is scheduled to make his first appearance at 2 p.m. in Johnson County District Court,” the report noted.
“An Overland Park police officer arrested Merritt, 54, at about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday and he was booked into the Johnson County jail about 10:25 p.m. No bond has been set. Details of his arrest were not immediately available, said Officer John Lacy, a spokesman with the Overland Park Police Department.”
The Kansas City Star added that Merritt pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance on Thursday.
“Merritt requested court appointed counsel, and a public defender entered a not guilty plea on his behalf,” the report noted. “Prosecutors requested a $2,500 cash surety bond with a no-contact order since the alleged victim did not appear at the hearing. The public defender argued for a personal recognizance bond, since Merritt has no criminal history.”
The report added that the Chiefs were aware of Merritt’s arrest, but had no comment.
The team has seen some players and coaches get into trouble in recent seasons. Wide receiver Rashee Rice served a six-game suspension last year after pleading guilty to felony charges related to a street-racing incident.
Britt Reid, the son of head coach Andy Reid and a former assistant with the Chiefs, also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving while intoxicated, causing serious injury, after a February 2021 crash.
Chiefs Struggled in Secondary
The Chiefs are coming off a season where they struggled in the secondary, making just 10 interceptions. Merritt explained late in the season that the team’s defensive style didn’t easily generate turnovers.
“With the style of defense we play, a lot of times guys have their backs turned to the ball, to the quarterback, so it’s not as easy to have picks,” Merritt said. “Overall, we’ve had some opportunities you’d wish you had back. Some of those tips and overthrows, you would love to capitalize on them. Definitely, we’d love to have more turnovers. We harp on that every week.”
The Chiefs have already made some major changes to the position, trading All-Pro Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and allowing Jaylen Watson to leave in free agency.
As Brad Crawford of CBS Sports added, the Chiefs have already worked to fill the vacancies.
“This offseason, Kansas City has signed veteran defensive back Alohi Gilman, former first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam and Kader Kohou, who missed last season with the Dolphins as the team’s starting nickel with a torn ACL suffered during the preseason,” Crawford wrote.
Details Emerge After Chiefs Coach Arrested Before NFL Draft