Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams avoided a suspension last season after pushing a cameraman to the ground following a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but could still be punished for the incident. The cameraman filed a civil lawsuit against Adams, the Chiefs and the Raiders on Thursday, according to the Kansas City Star.
The incident happened after the Chiefs narrowly beat the Raiders 30-29 at Arrowhead Stadium last season. Las Vegas had a chance at a last-second drive that could have won the game, but Adams collided with Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow on a fourth down that ended the comeback attempt.
As Adams headed down the tunnel, a cameraman crossed in front of Adams as he exited the field. Adams pushed the man to the ground. After the game, Adams apologized in a tweet, saying he was frustrated and “felt awful”. Adams later deleted that tweet.
The cameraman said he feared for his life as a result of the incident, according to the civil suit. He also said he was diagnosed with concussion symptoms, was harassed online and received death threats. He’s suing Adams for drums.
The man is also seeking damages from the Raiders for liability since they employ Adams. The Chiefs and two other companies are named in the lawsuit for failing to provide enough security to prevent the situation from happening.
Adams was charged with misdemeanor assault after the push. This case is still ongoing. Adams is scheduled to appear in court on June 26, according to the Star.
The NFL did not issue a sanction against Adams initially, opting instead to wait until the legal issue was resolved. It’s possible Adams could still face a fine or suspension from the NFL depending on the outcome of the misdemeanor charge and civil suit.