Because a 5-pound dog bit a 254-pound former NFL linebacker, he was able to get by on misdemeanor charges for killing it.
According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, felony charges against former Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo were dropped after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a $1,000 fine.
“Now that this matter is settled,” agent Adisa Bakari said, “we are excited to see if he can resume his career in the NFL.”
The Falcons cut Shembo, a former fourth-round pick, shortly after he was arrested for killing his ex-girlfriend’s Yorkie named Dior.
Tests on Dior by the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. The dog suffered “a fractured rib, fractured liver, abdominal hemorrhage, thoracic hemorrhage, extensive bruising and hemorrhage in the muscles in her front leg and shoulders, head trauma, hemorrhage and edema in lungs, hemorrhage between the esophagus and trachea, and hemorrhage in the left eye with internal injuries.”
But Dior bit Shembo, so that’s apparently OK.
If anyone signs Shembo, he could still be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy and could face a suspension.
Shembo was investigated but never charged for an alleged sexual assault when he played at Notre Dame, and the woman involved in the case committed suicide 10 days later.