NFL star Joe Mixon boycotts some outlets for ‘disrespectful’ behavior as he refuses to discuss road rage acquittal
Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Mixon declined to speak to reporters in his first practice since being found not guilty in his aggravated menacing case.
Mixon, 27, had been on trial since the beginning of the week and after four days of deliberations between prosecutors and his attorneys, a Cincinnati judge ruled Thursday that the running back would not be charged with a felony of high end.
He returned to practice with the Bengals Sunday, but shied away from reporters after the session.
Mixon then announced that he would boycott questions from specific reporters from the following outlets; Sports Illustrated, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Pro Football Network, and ESPN.
“It’s not happening,” Mixon said, before claiming that behavior he said was disrespectful was the motive behind his boycott, according to ESPN.
Joe Mixon refused to speak to reporters after innocent verdict in aggravated menacing case
A judge ruled on Thursday that the declining Bengals would not be charged in the case
When asked how he felt the outlets had been disrespectful, he replied only, “You know how.”
He has not spoken to the media during the team’s scheduled entry since the end of last season.
In April, Mixon chose to plead not guilty to the only misdemeanor charge he faced in connection with allegations that he threatened and pointed a gun at a woman in Cincinnati on January 21.
A bond was previously set at $10,000 and the player was ordered not to have any contact with the woman.
A warrant was initially issued for Mixon in February, but it was rejected the following day.
Two months later, the Cincinnati Police Department announced they had refiled the charges on April 7 “following the discovery of new evidence during the investigative process,” but did not provide further details.
When the warrant was issued on Feb. 2, a police officer’s accompanying statement alleged that Mixon pointed a firearm and told the victim, “You should be punched in the face.” I should shoot you, the police (can’t) catch me.’
The warrant then also said the altercation took place a few blocks from the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium, just a day before Cincinnati defeated the Buffalo Bills in a divisional round playoff game – but did not include any other details about the circumstances.
The injunction was rejected by the Hamilton County Municipal Court on Feb. 3, with the injunction saying only that the city’s prosecutor’s office had requested the dismissal “in the interests of justice.”
Mixon rushed for 814 yards and seven touchdowns this season, his sixth. He also had 60 receptions for 441 yards, both career highs and two touchdowns.
Mixon, 27, allegedly threatened a woman in Cincinnati in January and pointed a gun
The NFL star was in court this week in Hamilton County, Ohio, along with his lawyers
By 2021, he had rushed for career highs of 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Bengals, where he has spent his entire career.
Mixon was a second-round draft pick from Oklahoma in 2017. Several teams said they passed him on due to concerns about his character after Mixon punched a female Oklahoma student in the face in 2014.
He was suspended from the Sooners football team for a year and entered an Alford plea, in which a defendant pleads no guilt but acknowledges that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. He received a deferred sentence and was sentenced to perform community service and undergo counseling.
Mixon is expected to play more if not all games for the Bengals after appearing in 14 of 16 games last season after primary backup Samaje Perine left for the Denver Broncos.