Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is no longer facing an assault charge after a Week 5 confrontation with an NFL-affiliated photographer in 2022.
After a narrow 30-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams expressed his frustration over the loss by pushing 20-year-old photographer Park Zebley to the ground. Zebley, who suffered mild concussive symptoms after his fall, claimed he "feared for his life" and "suffered harm" in a lawsuit he filed against Adams and the Chiefs in May.
Zebley has maintained that he is "looking for justice", which includes pressing charges against Adams for misdemeanor assault as well as pursuing financial compensation. According to FOX 4 in Kansas City, the Kansas City Municipal Court has dismissed the misdemeanor assault case in municipal court.
Davante Adams no longer faces misdemeanor assault case from photographer
Although Adams is no longer facing a misdemeanor assault charge, he is still subject to a lawsuit filed by Zebley's legal representation.
"I'm looking for justice," Zebley said in a statement through his attorney. "You can't shove someone down and walk off like it didn't happen. Not in real life."
"He's looking for compensation. He feels he was bullied, and he wants to stand up for himself," Zebley's attorney, Dan Curry, told USA TODAY in May.
After the incident last October, Adams prefaced his postgame conference by apologizing to Zebley.
"Before I say anything, I want to apologize to the guy (camera person) running off the field and he ran and jumped in front of me," Adams said. "I'm coming off the field and I bumped into him and pushed him. I think he ended up on the ground, so I want to say sorry to him because that was just frustration mixed with him running in front of me and I shouldn't have responded that way and that's how I initially responded. I want to apologize to him for that."
Additionally, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels attested to Adams' character following the game.
"I support Davante wholeheartedly as a human being," McDaniels said, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "As a person, he's a great guy. I know that was an unfortunate situation. We obviously don't want any of our guys to be doing anything like that. He knows that. He's very well aware of that. But I know the person; I don't think there was any intent behind it, on his part.
According to FOX 4, "a hearing in the civil lawsuit over the incident takes place August 23."