Police say Chiefs’ Rice a suspect in assault weeks after crash arrest

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is facing assault charges in Dallas, just over a month after he was among the speeding drivers in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges, a newspaper report said Tuesday.

Law enforcement officials told the Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person at a downtown nightclub early Monday, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.

Officers were dispatched to the nightclub around 2:30 a.m. Monday on a report of an assault. The victim went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Rice’s attorney, Royce West, did not respond to an Associated Press message seeking comment. The Chiefs and the NFL declined to comment.

Rice reported to the Chiefs for voluntary workouts last month, when Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he spoke with the receiver and the team let the legal process play out.

The former SMU and Dallas high school player reported to the Chiefs shortly after turning himself in to Dallas police on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, involving the high-speed crash.

West has previously acknowledged that Rice was speeding in a Lamborghini SUV when the March 30 crash involving six vehicles occurred. Police said Theodore Knox, who also played for SMU, was driving a Corvette.

Rice, who turned 24 last month, and Knox have been charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision causing serious bodily injury and six counts of collision causing serious bodily injury.

Four people were injured in the crash and police said the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without providing information or determining if anyone needed medical attention.

Rice was drafted in the second round by Kansas City last year and played in 20 games, including the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over San Francisco in the Super Bowl. He led the team with seven touchdowns in the regular season.