For the second time (maybe) this year, one of the top wide receivers in the country has avoided what could’ve been some very serious legal issues.
According to David Morrison of the Columbia Tribune, Dorial Green-Beckham will not be arrested or face charges in connection to the Columbia Police Department’s investigation into an alleged burglary. According to reports, the first-degree burglary of an apartment was reported very early this past Sunday morning; while Green-Beckham’s name came up in connection to the incident, it was unclear if he was connected as a suspect, victim or witness.
That fact has been cleared up, although in doing so it paints a very disturbing and concerning portrait of both the incident and the player. According to the police incident report, Morrison wrote on Twitter, “Green-Beckham forced [his] way into [the] apartment while resident was trying to close door.” The story then takes an even more disturbing twist:
After all of that, the reason Green-Beckham is not facing criminal charges? "[The v]victim told police she did not want to press charges because ‘she was afraid of the media and community backlash.’” Tod Palmer takes it even further, tweeting that “Columbia Police were prepared to charge DGB with first-degree burglary, but withdrew warrant after victim declined to press charges.”
(Sigh...)
Green-Beckham was indefinitely suspended by the football less than 24 hours after the reported burglary, although the school described the punitive measures only as being for unspecified violations of team rules.
Green-Beckham led the Tigers in receptions (59) and receiving touchdowns (12) in 2013, a year after he being rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2012. The off-field issues, though, continue to crop up at an alarming rate.
In January of this year, he was arrested on felony drug charges, although it was subsequently reported that court documents showed there was no evidence the player was selling marijuana. That incident remains under investigation and the charges unresolved. In October of 2012, Green-Beckham was one of three Mizzou football players arrested for pot possession.
UPDATED 2:18 p.m. ET: The more information that comes out related to this incident, the more disturbing and disgusting it becomes.
The police obtained text messages from/to the alleged victim which explained Green-Beckham “will be kicked out of Mizzou and not qualify for the draft” if he were to be charged and -- not a good look upcoming if you’re a Tigers fan -- members of the Mizzou coaching staff “talked to me and explained to me how serious this is.”
The alleged victim was a friend of Green-Beckham’s girlfriend.
In a follow-up interview, however, the alleged victim denied both sustaining injuries and being talked to by the coaching staff. After that follow-up interview, the alleged victim’s mom called a CPD officer and “asked that her daughter not be contacted further.”
Based on the alleged victim’s non-cooperation, the case was dropped.