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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.
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.
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.
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.