Former NFL cornerback Damon Arnette entered a not guilty plea to felony charges in Nevada, the Associated Press reports. He was indicted for assault with a deadly weapon and firearm-related charges, and his attorney refutes the allegation that his client displayed a handgun during an argument with casino valets on the Las Vegas Strip.
“He never brandished a gun. He never pointed a gun,” defense attorney Ross Goodman told the Associated Press on Thursday.
Arnette remains free pending trial in October.
Arnette couldn’t find his valet ticket after parking at a hotel on Jan. 28, 2022. Police allege that when the staff asked him for other information to prove he was the owner of the car, he responded by producing a gun and taking the keys.
Prosecutors dropped the charges without explanation six months after Arnette’s arrest. Now the grand jury has charged Arnette again.
Arnette could face up to 10 years in Nevada state prison if he is convicted of both charges.
Clark County District Court Judge Ron Israel scheduled a hearing June 7 on Goodman’s written challenge of the indictment.
The Raiders cut Arnette during the 2021 season after a video circulated of him holding a gun and making death threats. He briefly spent time on the Dolphins’ practice and was signed to a futures contract by the Chiefs after the season, but the Chiefs cut him a week after signing him in the wake of the Las Vegas incident.
The Raiders had two first-round picks in 2020, Arnette and Henry Ruggs, and both were cut during the 2021 season because of off-field trouble. Ruggs recently pleaded guilty to DUI resulting in death and will be sentenced to 3-10 years in prison.
