Tom GantertHenderson, NV – The Las Vegas Raiders cut 2020 first-round draft pick Damon Arnette after a video surfaced that showed the National Football League (NFL) player waving three different guns at the camera as he made threats (video below).
The video that was posted to TikTok and then spread quickly across other social media platforms showed Arnette filming himself carrying three different weapons as he hurled racial slurs and threats.
“I swear to God I will kill you, n-a. On everything I love, I will kill you. n-a. You talking crazy,” he told the camera.
The Raiders’ cornerback brandished three-progressively larger firearms as the video continued.
“I will real-deal kill you, my n-a. I will real-deal kill you, my n-a. I will real-deal kill you, my n-a,” Arnette repeated into the camera.
Then he told the unknown recipient of the video to go ahead and come over, the video showed.
The 25-year-old NFL player bragged in the video that he wasn’t alone and had a “whole army” of friends there with him.
Arnette was drafted by the Raiders in the first round in 2020 and has been injured since Oct. 9, according to ESPN.
In his two seasons in the NFL, Arnette has started in seven of the 13 games he played. He has not started a game in 2021 for the Raiders.
Arnette has earned $13.4 million in salary so far in his career, ESPN reported.
“Very painful decision,” Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock said after the release was announced. “We spent significant time, effort and resources trying to help him in all aspects of his life.”
“There have been a series of bad decisions over the last year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun, threatening to take a life,” Mayock continued. “The content was unacceptable, contrary to our values and our owner Mark Davis has been very clear and very consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. The bottom line – the Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior.”
This wasn’t the first time that Arnette was the subject of bad publicity this season, KSNV reported.
Arnette and the Raiders were named in a lawsuit earlier this month in connection with a hit-and-run incident on Oct. 14, 2020 when the football player lost control of his vehicle and crashed into Yaneth Casique’s car, causing her serious injury.
Casique lost consciousness and Arnette fled the scene, KSNV reported.
Henderson Municipal Court records showed that Arnette pleaded guilty to failure to maintain a lane and duty to stop at an accident, both of which were misdemeanors, in connection with the wreck.
Court records showed he paid $1,640 in fines, KSNV reported.
Casique’s attorney claimed in the lawsuit that she hit her head in the crash and has suffered from headaches, balance impairment, memory loss, and other symptoms ever since.
The lawsuit said that Casique was taken to the emergency room for treatment from the crash and had to see multiple specialists for injuries that she’d sustained when her vehicle was struck by Arnett’s, including orthopedic, pain management and neurology, KSNV reported.
The complaint said that Casique’s medical bills have totaled more than $92,000 so far and the problems have continued.
She is seeking damages for medical expenses, loss of income, property damage, attorney’s fees, and general damages, according to KSNV.
Arnette’s release was the second publicity nightmare so far in November for the NFL team, which dropped Henry Ruggs III on Nov. 2 after the wide receiver killed a woman when he crashed while driving 156 mph while under the influence.
Watch the video of Arnette with the gun here below. WARNING – Graphic Content and Obscene Language:
Dawg wtf is going on in Las Vegas? Look at Raiders CB Damon Arnette flexing a gun saying he gon kill somebody smh pic.twitter.com/PiJKT5Cyq7
— Robert (5-4) 💔💔⏳ (@RobertRaymond46) November 6, 2021
Holly Matkin
