Higbee pleads guilty, avoids jail, but NFL action?

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Mick

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http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/nfl...l&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share

NFLer Tyler Higbee pleads guilty to felony assault, avoids jail time

Former Western Kentucky University football standout and current Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee pleaded guilty in Warren Circuit Court on Friday to assault under extreme emotional disturbance.

Higbee said little during the hearing beyond “yes sir” to questions asked by Warren Circuit Court Judge Steve Wilson.

Bowling Green Police arrested Higbee, 24, in 2016 on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree fleeing or evading police and alcohol intoxication in a public place following an April 10 incident in which he punched a Saudi national, Nawaf Alsaleh, in the face. The assault resulted in Alsaleh sustaining a concussion and brain bleed, according to city police records.

Under the plea agreement, Higbee avoids jail time if he successfully completes a minimum of five years pretrial diversion.

During the diversion period he must pay undisclosed restitution to the victim. He must not violate the penal code or the Controlled Substances Act, must remain drug and alcohol free, be subject to random testing, not own or possess any firearms and perform 250 hours of community service work.

The charges of public intoxication and fleeing police were dismissed as part of the plea.

Assault under extreme emotional disturbance is “many times referred to as a heat of the moment assault,” Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Cohron said.

If Higbee fails to successfully complete the diversion, he could serve two years in prison.

At the end of the diversion period, once successfully completed, the case can be dismissed and expunged from Higbee’s record.

“The main thing we want to convey is Mr. Higbee as well as the victim are happy to put this behind them both. Mr. Higbee wishes him continued good health, and we believe it’s a fair outcome given the circumstances,” Higbee’s attorney Brian Lowder said, adding that Alsaleh has since returned to Saudi Arabia.

At the time of the April 2016 incident Higbee told police he and his girlfriend had been to Dublin’s Irish Pub on State Street where they encountered Alsaleh, who Higbee said bothered his girlfriend, police records show. Higbee said Alsaleh rubbed his head against his and his girlfriend’s faces and was told to stop multiple times.

Higbee and his girlfriend then left and went to the parking lot of Tidballs on Morris Alley to buy food at the Shogun food truck when Alsaleh approached the couple again, records show. Higbee said Alsaleh got into his personal space and he hit Alsaleh one time, knocking him out, records show.

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Alsaleh was treated at The Medical Center and then flown to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville after tests showed that he had suffered a concussion as well as a brain bleed.

Witnesses at the scene told BGPD officers that Alsaleh’s hands were down and that two white males were arguing with him before the punch, with one of them yelling ethnic slurs at him.

Lowder said Higbee and Alsaleh have since shaken hands and Higbee has apologized to Alsaleh for the assault.

“The racial slurs were not made by Mr. Higbee,” Lowder said. “The person who made the comments has acknowledged responsibility for having said the things he said.”

Cohron said the state worked with the victim’s attorney, Steve Downey, to ensure that a restitution plan was in place before resolution of the criminal case.

“It is not unusual in cases where there is significant injury for us to allow the resolution of restitution to be addressed up front so as it would be in the best interest of the victim,” Cohron said.

Downey was not immediately available for comment.

Alsaleh was treated at The Medical Center and then flown to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville after tests showed that he had suffered a concussion as well as a brain bleed.

Witnesses at the scene told BGPD officers that Alsaleh’s hands were down and that two white males were arguing with him before the punch, with one of them yelling ethnic slurs at him.

Lowder said Higbee and Alsaleh have since shaken hands and Higbee has apologized to Alsaleh for the assault.

“The racial slurs were not made by Mr. Higbee,” Lowder said. “The person who made the comments has acknowledged responsibility for having said the things he said.”

Cohron said the state worked with the victim’s attorney, Steve Downey, to ensure that a restitution plan was in place before resolution of the criminal case.

“It is not unusual in cases where there is significant injury for us to allow the resolution of restitution to be addressed up front so as it would be in the best interest of the victim,” Cohron said.

Downey was not immediately available for comment.
 

Mick

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Just curious...for those that know, does the NFL hand out punishments for incidents that take place prior to a player being drafted? I know the NFL is looking at Elliot of the Cowboys as well.
 

OldSchool

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Just curious...for those that know, does the NFL hand out punishments for incidents that take place prior to a player being drafted? I know the NFL is looking at Elliot of the Cowboys as well.
If I remember correctly they only count stuff once you declare for the NFL draft. Stuff that happens prior to that while you're a student/athlete they don't do anything about.
 

yrba1

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Has as much credibility as the TMZ report of Steven Jackson beating up his girlfriend. Gotta look for multiple sources and wait for an NFL headline before knee-jerk reacting folks, the fake news ordeal is real
 

Mick

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Has as much credibility as the TMZ report of Steven Jackson beating up his girlfriend. Gotta look for multiple sources and wait for an NFL headline before knee-jerk reacting folks, the fake news ordeal is real
Not sure how you got this as fake news, being it's from a local paper in Bowling Green, but you do you I suppose.
 

yrba1

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Not sure how you got this as fake news, being it's from a local paper in Bowling Green, but you do you I suppose.

Pardon me for discrediting on the spot, just want to hear more reports before we come to conclusions. I expect a lot of inflammatory responses, especially with the Mike Thomas suspension
 

Psycho_X

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The Rams and 31 other teams knew this was a situation that would need to be resolved before last years draft. It's part of the reason why Higbee fell a little bit. I'd say this is as good of a resolution that the Rams could have hoped for. No jail time and chance to be cleared as long as he keeps clean going forward. I wouldn't dismiss the NFL suspending him but the Rams knew it was a possibility when they drafted him so can't really be angry at him now.
 

OldSchool

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Not sure how you got this as fake news, being it's from a local paper in Bowling Green, but you do you I suppose.
This case comes down to a he said/she said accusation. The victim claims certain things that nobody has substantiated. Higbee was an ass who beat up a guy but there are that I've read no witnesses backing the racial slurs were thrown at the victim.
 

DaveFan'51

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If I remember correctly they only count stuff once you declare for the NFL draft. Stuff that happens prior to that while you're a student/athlete they don't do anything about.
I like this^ because, to me, if it happens before he declared, It's none of there Business! JMHO
 

Prime Time

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From the above article..."He must not violate the penal code or the Controlled Substances Act, must remain drug and alcohol free, be subject to random testing. If Higbee fails to successfully complete the diversion, he could serve two years in prison. "

I've read no witnesses backing the racial slurs were thrown at the victim.

"The racial slurs were not made by Mr. Higbee," Higbee's attorney Brian Lowder said. "The person who made the comments has acknowledged responsibility for having said the things he said."
 

Mick

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This case comes down to a he said/she said accusation. The victim claims certain things that nobody has substantiated. Higbee was an ass who beat up a guy but there are that I've read no witnesses backing the racial slurs were thrown at the victim.
Did anyone actually read the article? o_O I mean, the other dude, in fact, toss the racial slurs, has admitted as much. That is in the article, as well as Higbee's admission of guilt. Not trying to be argumentative, but witnesses do actually say that "...Alsaleh’s hands were down and that two white males were arguing with him before the punch, with one of them yelling ethnic slurs at him." That is also in the article....just an FYI.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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From the above article..."He must not violate the penal code or the Controlled Substances Act, must remain drug and alcohol free, be subject to random testing. If Higbee fails to successfully complete the diversion, he could serve two years in prison. "



"The racial slurs were not made by Mr. Higbee," Higbee's attorney Brian Lowder said. "The person who made the comments has acknowledged responsibility for having said the things he said."

Two years for beating some guy up in a bar dispute? That seems pretty harsh. I guess the times are changing. I witness my share of bar fights back in the early nineties. I never saw anyone arrested. Maybe it was the seriousness of the injury.
 

UKram

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At the time of the April 2016 incident Higbee told police he and his girlfriend had been to Dublin’s Irish Pub on State Street where they encountered Alsaleh, who Higbee said bothered his girlfriend, police records show. Higbee said Alsaleh rubbed his head against his and his girlfriend’s faces and was told to stop multiple times.

There ain't many of us here I reckon (especially in our younger days ) that wouldn't have had the same reaction as Higs in these circumstances
 

CGI_Ram

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Not defending Higbee's actions, but... Alsaleh is the victim? Sounds more like an accomplice to his own ass-kicking for being a total douche.

Also sounds like the same old story we've heard many times about people putting themselves in a bad situation, but wanting to blame others for the outcome.
 

dieterbrock

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"Witnesses at the scene told BGPD officers that Alsaleh’s hands were down and that two white males were arguing with him before the punch"
Its funny how this story has changed in the last year. Higbee was drunk and sucker punched a guy half his size, and the kid ended up in a coma. If he played for San Francisco, Seattle or the Patriots, I don't think there would be any support for him.
Actions have consequences
 

LesBaker

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Two years for beating some guy up in a bar dispute? That seems pretty harsh. I guess the times are changing. I witness my share of bar fights back in the early nineties. I never saw anyone arrested. Maybe it was the seriousness of the injury.

IMO the guy got what he deserved. If you are stupid enough to harass a guy twice your size, and harass his girlfriend by rubbing your head on them several times you have to expect to get hit. And then following them out to a food truck to talk more shit?

At the time of the April 2016 incident Higbee told police he and his girlfriend had been to Dublin’s Irish Pub on State Street where they encountered Alsaleh, who Higbee said bothered his girlfriend, police records show. Higbee said Alsaleh rubbed his head against his and his girlfriend’s faces and was told to stop multiple times.

The first time he would have done that to my girl he would have gotten a fist to the side of his head. You have to respect people.

There ain't many of us here I reckon (especially in our younger days ) that wouldn't have had the same reaction as Higs in these circumstances

See above, I think TH had the right to defend himself. The rest of the stuff about fleeing deserves to be dealt with. But this is the world we live in here in the USA. you can harass someone and when they defend themselves and you get punched out they are to blame.

Not defending Higbee's actions, but... Alsaleh is the victim? Sounds more like an accomplice to his own ass-kicking for being a total douche.

Wait......CGI you are defending Higbee hitting the guy??????????

You aren't really Canadian are you? at the very least you got a little bit of Murican in ya.

Actions have consequences

I've seen a few guys get hit at sporting events and bars in my life, in almost every single case it was well deserved. People can only take so much crap out of a drunk, not to mention who knows what kind of a nutjob some guy harrassing you could be.......armed even.

You can't take a chance.

It's was not his intent to do that kind of harm I'm sure, that was unfortunate but what you say about actions having consequences is very true. Higbee walked away and the guy followed. At that point you can't blame a guy for going into self defense mode.

I can't hold this against him knowing that I would have swung earlier than he did.
 

tomas

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Its funny how this story has changed in the last year. Higbee was drunk and sucker punched a guy half his size, and the kid ended up in a coma. If he played for San Francisco, Seattle or the Patriots, I don't think there would be any support for him.
Actions have consequences
I believe as a staunch Conservative-Patriot, u have God-given, unalienable rights whereby defendants can "stand their ground" and use force without retreating, in order to protect and defend themselves or others against threats or perceived threats.
 
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