Alleged assault victim drops charges against Chiefs’ Rashee Rice, per Dallas police

Rashee Rice has been under investigation for allegedly hitting a photographer at a Dallas club early on May 7, according to WFAA. Officers began the process of interviewing witnesses about the incident earlier, per the report, but now that investigation appears to be over.

The man who Rice allegedly punched in the face has dropped all charges, according to Dallas police. He has filed an affidavit withdrawing the complaint, per NFL Media, calling the interaction a “misunderstanding.” Rice is currently participating in the Chiefs organized team activities this week. 

The Kansas City Chiefs receiver is already slated to face a multigame suspension from the NFL for his involvement in a multicar crash Rice, who turned himself into the police last month before being released on bond, faces eight charges in the case: six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault. 

Rice was driving the vehicle that ultimately led to the six-car crash. His top speed, 119 miles per hour, occurred right before the crash, per an arrest warrant affidavit acquired by the Dallas Morning News.  

Rice, played a key role in the Chiefs’ successful title defense as a rookie with a team-high seven receiving touchdowns to go along with 938 receiving yards and 79 catches, which both ranked second on the team behind tight end Travis Kelce. But off-field issues could derail Rice’s promising career. 

Both Rice and SMU cornerback Theodore Knox are being sued for $1 million by two victims in the crash on March 30. Plantiffs Irina Gromova and Edvard Petrovskiy are suing for $1 million on account of their severe injuries that include “trauma to the brain, lacerations to the face requiring stiches, multiple contusions about the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding and other internal and external injuries that may only be fully revealed over the course of medical treatment,” according to the court document. 

The Chiefs, likely expecting that Rice wouldn’t be available to start the season, selected former Texas wideout Xavier Worthy with the 28th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Worthy, who ran an NFL Combine record 4.21-second 40-yard-dash, has turned heads during his initial practices with Kansas City. 

“It’s going to be fun to play in this offense,” Worthy recently said, via The Athletic. “I played every (receiver) position at Texas. Just being able to have that versatility and play everything, I think, doesn’t limit me to any position.”