On Thursday, the case against Dave Merritt concerning a home battery incident was dropped, and the following day, officials provided details to the California Post regarding this decision.
A representative from the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office remarked, “As prosecutors, we have an ethical obligation. After evaluating the new evidence, we don’t believe Mr. Merritt committed a crime, so we dismissed the case.”
Merritt, who serves as an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs under Andy Reid, was taken into custody on April 22—just a day prior to the 2026 NFL Draft. He faced allegations of “unlawfully, intentionally, or recklessly” inflicting “bodily harm” on his daughter, as stated in prosecutors’ documentation.
Though he was charged with domestic assault, Merritt pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on April 23.
Reid has addressed the situation several times in recent weeks, noting on Saturday that Merritt has been “open about everything.” He added, “We’re still navigating through this process. We always rely on law enforcement to handle it.”
After the closure of the case, Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginney, informed NFL Network that, “The prosecutor’s office examined it more thoroughly, took additional information into account, and agreed to dismiss the matter.”
Merritt, a former NFL linebacker from the ’90s, joined Reid’s coaching staff in 2019, having previously worked with the Jets, Giants, and Cardinals.
