The has been a rough few months for the Las Vegas Raiders. It was just a month ago when head coach Jon Gruden stepped down after resurfaced racist and homophobic emails began to circulate. Then, the team cut wide receiver Henry Ruggs III after he was officially charged with driving under the influence during an incident that resulted in a fatal crash that took the life of a woman.
Now, it has been reported that Raiders first-round draft pick Damon Arnette has been released from the team after a video went viral days ago showing him brandishing a firearm while spewing threats of violence.
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In the clip, Arnette is seen waving the weapon around while saying, “I swear to God I will kill you, n****. On everything I love, I will kill you, n****. You talking crazy.” It is unclear if he was actually speaking to someone in particular. The Raiders quickly stepped in and severed ties with the football player.
“Very painful decision,” general manager Mike Mayock reportedly said. “We spent significant time, effort and resources trying to help him in all aspects of his life. … We cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun, threatening to take a life.” This isn’t the first time that there have been concerns over Arnette and his behavior.
The 25-year-old was reportedly the subject of several lawsuits as late as last month over a hit-and-run incident that occurred in October 2020. A woman was reportedly injured during the incident and Arnette stands accused of fleeing the scene because he was late to a meeting. Additionally, Arnette faces another lawsuit where it is alleged that he spit on an Aria Hotel & Casino employee in Las Vegas.
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