LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette is pleading not guilty to assault and weapons charges, according to court documents.
He was indicted earlier this month with charges stemming from a January 2022 incident where he is accused of pointing a gun at a valet attendant. Court documents state Arnette became angry after an attendant at Park MGM asked him for some form of identification in order to pick up his vehicle. The court transcript states he told the attendant that he threw his valet ticket away. That's when the attendant told the grand jury that Arnette began cursing at them saying they should "Give me my mother [expletive] keys."
An arrest report states that Arnette became more confrontational and another attendant said they heard a gun cocking with Arnette holding a firearm. Hotel security was called and Arnette eventually received his keys after finding his valet ticket in a nearby trash can. Police stopped Arnette a few blocks away.
On Wednesday, Arnette's lawyers filed documents stating Arnette was pleading not guilty. They argue there is no evidence of assault or him concealing a weapon.
"At the valet area, [Arnette] stepped behind the driver's side door to discreetly place the handgun inside the driver's side door panel. The firearm is inside the car," Arnette's attorneys state. "He turns around without the firearm to talk to the valet attendant about the claims tickets which he had accidentally thrown away after paying for it at the kiosk."
However, valet employees disagree with that statement. While testifying before the grand jury, at least two employees stated that Arnette didn't point the weapon at anyone but they "did see him get the firearm, load it and then stick it into his waistband after he was asked for some kind of identification. So that was enough for us to walk away from the situation."
Arnette's next court hearing is scheduled for June 7.
Charges were originally filed after that incident but they were dropped in July 2022. As of Wednesday morning, it's unclear why charges are being brought against Arnette for the same incident.
