Animal cruelty charges against free-agent defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs were dismissed by the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.
In July 2024, the former Kansas City Chiefs player to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years ‘pending the behavior of the defendant.’
However, in a statement to The Athletic, Buggs’ attorney, Greg Gambril, confirmed the dismissal. The charges of second-degree cruelty to dogs were dismissed with prejudice after the state of Alabama received evidence that absolved the 28-year-old, per Gambrill.
‘We are grateful to the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office for its careful review of the facts and evidence and for working toward a fair and just outcome,’ Buggs said in a statement. ‘I am focused on moving forward and continuing my football career.’
Buggs turned himself in on May 30 after being charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty.
Tuscaloosa Police and Animal Control officers found a pitbull surrounded by feces and with no access to food or water, according to legal documents,
The animal cruelty charges against Isaiah Buggs have been dropped by the state of Alabama
Buggs, 28, was sentenced to a year of hard labor after being convicted of animal cruelty
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First responders also found a black Rottweiler mix locked in a metal cage – in direct sunlight – without access to food or water.
Buggs was arrested earlier in June after being accused of dragging the mother of his child down a set of steps and inflicting injury.
The woman later told police that Buggs broke into her Tuscaloosa home with a tire iron at around 5.28am, per TMZ.
She then claimed that he went upstairs to confront her before dragging her down the stairs. The woman alleged that the incident caused her to break off several ‘clip-on toenails’, while police noted that she had scratches on her wrist.
Buggs allegedly left the scene after the woman told him she was calling the police. He was later located in a nearby Little Caesars parking lot and placed under arrest.
The run-stuffing tackle out of Alabama played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his last two with the Detroit Lions.
He started 23 games and appeared in 56 in his career, with 89 tackles and two sacks. He had signed a $1,292,500 contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season.
The former Super Bowl champions released the former Alabama player on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
