Security Guard Involved in Altercation with Ezekiel Elliott Speaks Out
Earlier this month, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott allegedly knocked a security guard at a Las Vegas festival into a metal gate, though no arrests were made, nor were any charges filed in relation to the incident.
Now the security guard in question, 19-year-old Kyle Johnson, is speaking out.
Johnson told KCBS in Los Angeles this week that while he was uninjured in the altercation, he believes the Cowboys star treated him unfairly.
“I wasn’t hurt or anything, but just to have someone that you looked up to shove you on the ground over a metal fence?” Johnson said. “It’s not the biggest thing in the world, but really, [to say] nothing happened? I mean, come on.”
Making matters perhaps more interesting is that Johnson admits Elliott already apologized to him, but claims the apology was insufficiently sincere.
“I did get an apology from him. It wasn’t a sincere apology,” Johnson said, according to ESPN.
“He didn’t maintain eye contact. It didn’t seem sincere at all.”
Johnson did not press charges against Elliott at the time, and suggested he’s not sure if he will do so in the future.
As ESPN noted: “At the time of Elliott’s detainment, Las Vegas police office Laura Meltzer described the possible charge as misdemeanor battery.”
In case you missed it before, here’s video of the incident, which TMZ obtained:
Should Johnson go forward with this more aggressive response to the original incident, there will no doubt be major implications for Elliott.
After all, Elliott is already on thin ice with the NFL, having served a six-game suspension stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.
It’s one thing for the league to decide to move along if Johnson opts not to press charges.
But a pending criminal case, even for something as minor as misdemeanor battery, against a player with Elliot’s alleged history?
That’s a far more serious matter, and one that could be devastating to both the professional fortunes of Elliott and the on-field prospects for the 2019 Dallas Cowboys.
Bear in mind that following the incident, Las Vegas police said in a statement to TMZ that the victim declining to press charges was a factor in Elliott’s release from temporary custody.
“On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at approximately 3 a.m. LVMPD officers working at EDC observed from a distance an adult male, later identified as Elliott, push a security officer to the ground,” the police statement read.
“Two officers approached and placed Elliott into handcuffs while they investigated the incident. The security guard who was the victim of the misdemeanor battery, refused to press charges and officers escorted Elliott a short distance away and he was released.”
In addition, Johnson may have been coming to the aid of Elliott’s girlfriend, who the star running back was arguing with.
“Zeke never puts his hands on the woman but he uses his body to block her from walking away several times during the argument,” TMZ reported.
It’s impossible to know how this all will play out in the coming days.
But one thing is for sure: If Johnson decides to press charges, things could get messy for Elliott and the Cowboys.
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