NFL star Ezekiel Elliott handcuffed after altercation with Las Vegas security guard (VIDEO)
Dallas Cowboys star back Ezekiel Elliott was handcuffed and detained by Las Vegas police after an altercation at a music festival last weekend, though he avoided arrest after a security guard refused to press charges.
Video footage of the incident obtained by TMZ, showing the 23-year-old approach a security guard and ask, "You got something to say?" before appearing to push the man who then falls backwards over a railing.
Authorities quickly detained Elliott, handcuffing him, but he was soon released as no formal charges were brought against the player.
According to a statement from local police working at the Electric Daisy Carnival, they "observed from a distance an adult male, later identified as Elliott, push a security officer to the ground." Although that the officer "who was the victim of the misdemeanor battery, refused to press charges and officers escorted Elliott a short distance away and he was released."
Elliott was handcuffed as "precautionary measure", per his agent Frank Salzano, who emphasized to TMZ that "security misconstrued and overreacted to the situation."
No further charges have been brought against the player and he has since then left Las Vegas.
An NFL source was quoted by ESPN as saying that they are "still gathering information" related to the incident, but added that they don't think the league will take stringent action against the player as it appears that a punch wasn't thrown and he wasn't arrested.
Elliott, the fourth pick in the 2016 NFL draft, has become one of the league's best ball carriers and has rushed for 28 touchdowns during his three seasons in Dallas. He was suspended for six-games in his second season after allegations of domestic abuse became public. Despite not being criminally charged, the NFL elected to suspend him for a violation of their 'Personal Conduct' policy.
Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said Monday that the team will continue to investigate the matter, but hastened to add that Elliott has become an integral part of his local community citing the recent news that Elliott offered to pay the funeral costs of a promising 14-year-old football player who was accidentally killed by a stray bullet recently.
