Attorneys: Ezekiel Elliott 'Has Been The Target Of Extortion' Since Las Vegas Incident
FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The legal team for Ezekiel Elliott believes the Dallas Cowboys running back is being extorted after an incident in Las Vegas in May where he could be seen pushing against a security guard who then fell into a guardrail.
A statement from Elliott's attorneys comes after the employee, Kyle Johnson, decided to press charges on Saturday for the incident that was caught on camera.
"Over the course of the past several weeks, Mr. Elliott has been the target of extortion. Kyle Johnson's filing of a criminal complaint against Mr. Elliott in connection with the Las Vegas incident is the latest attempt to do so. Mr. Elliott and his team are in contact with all of the proper authorities and are fully cooperating with them in their investigation," Elliott's attorneys said in a statement to CBS Sports.
The video of the May incident was posted by TMZ and it showed the 23-year-old being handcuffed after he was seen pushing against the security guard. Elliott was detained but not arrested.
Elliott was not punished by the NFL after the league investigated the incident. He met with commissioner Roger Goodell on July 2, where they reviewed the league's personal conduct policy.
Johnson told KVVU he believes the NFL let Elliott off the hook for what happened. "To not have anything happen to him, the NFL is basically saying it's okay to go to Vegas, get obliterated and shove people over fences," he said.
Although Elliott apologized to him in person, Johnson didn't believe it was sincere.
"It wasn't a sincere apology," Johnson said. "He didn't maintain eye contact. It didn't seem sincere at all."
The 23-year-old could be officially charged with battery if the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department finds merit in the criminal complaint through an investigation.
For now, Elliott looks to put his mind back into football as the Cowboys start training camp on July 27.