Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Isaiah Buggs was accused of animal cruelty in a civil petition filed Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. according to Patch.
The petition mentions that an investigator obtained two misdemeanor warrants for second-degree cruelty to dogs or cats. A subsequent Patch report revealed that Buggs was accused of pushing the Tuscaloosa police chief in April.
The circumstances of the dogs’ case, as portrayed in the petition, are grim. Tuscaloosa police received information on March 28 about two dogs left on the back porch of a home. When police and animal control arrived, they found a gray and white pit bull on a back porch and a black Rottweiler locked in a metal cage in direct sunlight. None of the dogs had access to food or water.
Both dogs were reportedly seized and found to be “malnourished, emaciated, neglected,” and the property appeared to be abandoned. A neighbor told authorities the dogs had been on the porch for 10 days.
Investigators later determined the home was rented by Buggs, who was given a termination notice in April due to $3,116.90 in back rent owed. Witnesses told investigators he left home around March 19.
Buggs earned $5.3 million in his NFL career, per Spotrac.
Unfortunately, the pit bull had to be euthanized at the end of April due to increased aggression and failed heartworm treatment. The Rottweiler mix tested positive for Parvo, a virus often fatal to dogs, and weighed just 52 pounds despite being 3 years old.
The civil petitioner seeks to formally seize custody of the player’s dogs and have him taxed for their care, treatment, maintenance and disposition.
Isaiah Buggs Allegedly Shoved Tuscaloosa Police Chief
This isn’t the end of Buggs’ legal troubles, as Patch reports he faces charges of menacing, assault and city code violations at his Kings Hookah Lounge business. On April 14, police responded to an overcrowded parking lot and found 283 people inside the hall, which has a maximum fire capacity of 83.
After the building was reportedly cleared and Buggs was cited, he allegedly became irate at the officers, saying “those boys better not touch me” and “I’m not going in handcuffs.” Buggs allegedly left the business despite being told he was not free to go, at which point Tuscaloosa Police Chief Bren Blankley tried to get him to return.
Blankley allegedly placed his hand on Buggs’ shoulder, at which point the athlete pushed him into several police officers:
“A fight ensued and it took several officers to handcuff Buggs due to his lack of cooperation,” the arrest report says. “Neither Buggs nor any officers were injured during the incident.”
Buggs was reportedly taken into custody and released on $1,600 bail.
There was also a reported incident in which Buggs and his brother Detarion allegedly became angry with a woman for rolling her eyes at one of them and confronted her with firearms. Detarion is also accused of throwing a glass at the woman’s car and ricocheting her in the face.
Isaiah Buggs’ Agent Responds to Litany of Accusations
Buggs agent Trey Robinson released a statement claiming that the charges against him are part of “an ongoing subversive campaign” to force him to close the hookah lounge. He claimed that the dogs on the porch did not belong to Buggs and that no public records were kept of the two previous arrests as part of an effort to influence him into surrendering his business license.
Robinson said he will bring to light the city and police department’s motivation for attacking Buggs’ business as part of his defense.
The full statement:
“Isaiah vehemently denies the veracity of the allegations and accusations made against him today. Under no circumstances does Mr. Buggs condone mistreatment of any animal. The dogs in question did not belong to him and he was unaware that they remained on the property in question.
“Furthermore, we believe that the City of Tuscaloosa’s decision to file charges today is part of a concerted effort by the City of Tuscaloosa and its Police Department to tarnish the name and reputation of Mr. Buggs as part of a subversive campaign underway to force the closure of his local business, Kings Hookah Lounge.
“These efforts are not new, as Mr. Buggs has been arrested at his business on misdemeanor charges on two separate occasions in the past two months, but each time no public record has been made of these arrests. Instead, the city has used threatening to pursue and publicizing the allegations made today and these arrests as leverage against Mr. Buggs, offering to withdraw them and not pursue them in exchange for his voluntary surrender of his business license. Police Department to decide to attack his business, which he plans to bring to light as part of his defense of the allegations and charges brought against him and his reputation and business.”
The Chiefs’ bizarre offseason continues
Buggs joined the Chiefs’ practice squad last January and remained with the team on a reserve/future contract in February. He entered the NFL after winning a national championship with Alabama as a sixth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers and later spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions.
Buggs may be a bit player for the Chiefs in the grand scheme of things, but the allegations here continue what has been a bizarre and disturbing offseason for the defending champions.
First there were Dallas wide receiver Rashee Rice’s accusations of being in a highway accident, followed by an assault allegation that has since disappeared. Later, kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech became a political flashpoint (obviously, this is not a crime, but it became loud enough to reach the Chiefs’ practice).
Then there was a threat to leave Missouri due to a failed sales tax referendum and two players being arrested for marijuana possession.
At this rate, Kansas City’s 2024-25 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5 can’t come soon enough.
