Chiefs' Isaiah Buggs facing two second-degree animal cruelty misdemeanors, per reports
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs is being charged with two second-degree animal cruelty misdemeanors by Tuscaloosa, Alabama, police, according to court documents obtained by ESPN and Patch.com.
The Tuscaloosa Police Department, per the reports, responded to a home being rented by Buggs, a practice-squad player who signed a futures contract with the Chiefs this offseason, in late March. They found two dogs on the back porch who appeared malnourished and abandoned, according to the reports. Per Patch, a neighbor also told police that the dogs had been on the back porch for at least 10 days.
Buggs' agent categorically denied the claims to ESPN.
"Under no circumstance does Mr. Buggs condone the mistreatment of any animal," Trey Robinson said in a statement. "The dogs at issue did not belong to him and he was unaware they remained at the property in question."
Robinson claimed that Buggs is the subject of a smear campaign to shut down a hookah lounge Buggs owns in Tuscaloosa.
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"We believe the city of Tuscaloosa's decision to file the charges today is part of a concerted effort by the city of Tuscaloosa and its police department to besmirch Mr. Buggs' name and reputation as part of an on-going subversive campaign to force the close of his local business 'Kings Hookah Lounge,' " Robinson said in his statement.
Patch reported later Wednesday that Buggs is also the subject of two other misdemeanors in Tuscaloosa following events that occurred recently. Patch reported that he is facing pending charges for pushing Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley into other officers during an April arrest and for allegedly pointing a gun at a woman outside of the hookah lounge.
Buggs was a sixth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Alabama in 2019. He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the Steelers and played the last two seasons with the Detroit Lions. He was a member of Alabama's 2017 national championship squad.