Chris Henry: Assault Accusation...Claims are false *Updated*

[superpunk]

Assault Accusation Against Bengals' Chris Henry
Posted By: Neil Relyea

Reported by:
Lynn Giroud
Photographed by: Tyson Thorp


Bengals' wide-receiver Chris Henry is accused of breaking the law again.

9News has learned that Florence police interviewed Henry, along with Bengal Reggie McNeal on Tuesday.

The two football pros may have been involved in assaulting a 16-year-old boy.

The family of the victim shared their story exclusively with 9News Tuesday night.

They talked off-camera because they say they're not ready to publicly show their faces.

But they are angry, alleging that Bengals players Chris Henry, along with a few others, beat the 16-year-old so severely that he had to be treated at the hospital for his injuries.

"It's very obvious," said Captain Linny Cloyd, of the Florence police department. "I've seen the young man. There's no doubt he was assaulted. At this point we're still trying to figure out who is who – where they were."

Police say the 16-year-old and an 18-year-old friend were walking along Wetherington Boulevard near Mt. Zion Road just after 11 p.m. Friday night when, they say a black Navigator or Escalade pulled up next to them.

According to the police report, a white male jumped out and started punching the 16-year-old in the face.

"From that, the victim tells us another gentleman got out of the vehicle the same vehicle and in their attempt to get away, was shoved to the ground by this African American gentleman," said Cloyd.

The teen identified that man as Bengals receiver Chris Henry, and says receiver Reggie McNeill was also in the vehicle.

The teen also alleges that they were throwing beer bottles at him as he tried to run away.

"Go away, we don't want to talk to you."

9News tried to talk to Chris Henry Tuesday night, but no one at his house wanted to talk to us.

Henry lives just a few blocks away from where police say the assault happened.

The victim's family tells 9News that the teen knows Henry and knows his vehicle because he lives in the neighborhood and was friends with Henry's younger brother.

Police questioned Henry Tuesday afternoon and are taking this allegation very seriously.

"We have been in contact with Mr. Henry and Mr. McNeal as to their whereabouts," said Capt. Cloyd. "They deny being in the area, or knowing this gentleman."

Police say they are still following leads and their investigation is on-going.

As for Chris Henry, he's been arrested four times in the past year-and-a-half for marijuana and gun charges, drunk driving and providing alcohol to female minors.

His run-ins with the law got him an eight-game, unpaid suspension this upcoming season.

If these allegation are true, this could spell the end of Chris Henry's career.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said that Henry would be banished for life if there were any more mis-steps.

ADMIN EDIT:

POSTED 11:56 a.m. EDT, June 13, 2007
HENRY DODGES ANOTHER BULLET
A few weeks back, a prosecutor in Kenton County, Kentucky announced that Bengals receiver Chris Henry had failed a court-ordered drug test.
The only catch? He hadn't.

This time around, a 16-year-old boy claimed that Henry and teammate Reggie McNeal assaulted him on Friday night in Florence, Kentucky.

It now appears that the claim is false.

WLWT-TV, citing an unnamed source, says that the accusation is unfounded. So, unless the unnamed source is named Marvin Lewis, it looks like Henry won't be facing any further trouble.

But these two situations highlight the trouble with players making themselves into targets.
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[sago1]

Wonder this allegation will turn out to be true or an effort to extort money from Henry. Initially surprised by possibility he could be banished for life but then again if Henry actually hit this kid so hard he ended up at the hospital maybe drastic measures by Goodell are necessary. Glad Goodell established player advisory board to help him decide what action should be taken against any NFL player. It's there recommendation he will probably follow along with NFL lawyers, etc.

 

[superpunk]

Wonder this allegation will turn out to be true or an effort to extort money from Henry. Initially surprised by possibility he could be banished for life but then again if Henry actually hit this kid so hard he ended up at the hospital maybe drastic measures by Goodell are necessary. Glad Goodell established player advisory board to help him decide what action should be taken against any NFL player. It's there recommendation he will probably follow along with NFL lawyers, etc.

The story sounds fishy to me. Honestly, what are the odds that Henry and McNeal were out on a joyride, and just decided to randomly beat this kid senseless?

It's sad that your mind goes right to extortion, but that's the way it is now.

 

[burmafrd]

This does sound a little off. But then again Henry has shown himself to be right up there with Pacman for being stupid.

 

[big dog cowboy]

As with any story of this nature, I'll wait for the entire story to be told when we know fact from fiction.

 

[Hoofbite]

Sounds a little fishy but if true, Henry takes the lead in the POS Polls.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Sound like a bunch of bulls___ to me. I wonder how authorities will handle a situation that has NO evidence or eye witnesses.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I don't know if he beat the kid up or not, but if he did I doubt he just stopped for no reason and started hitting the kid.

I have to wonder if the kid threw something at the truck or did something. Not that it is right what Henry and the guy did but I just can't see two guys riding a few blocks from their house and just for the heck of it jumping out and beating up some teenager.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Wow....I hope this is not true!

 

[sacase]

sounds like Goddell just made NFL players targets for extortion. With the way things are I think you are going to see more and more people have "incidents" with NFL players because they know the players are going to be suspended if they go to the police.

 

[Doomsday101]

sounds like Goddell just made NFL players targets for extortion. With the way things are I think you are going to see more and more people have "incidents" with NFL players because they know the players are going to be suspended if they go to the police.

People have tried to extort players before Goodell ever took charge and I think it is going to take more than just someone going to the police.

 

[sacase]

People have tried to extort players before Goodell ever took charge and I think it is going to take more than just someone going to the police.

Not really think about it. A players knows that if they get into trouble they face a suspension reguardless of the outcome of a court case. So if you stand to loose 500k for a suspension and someone accuses your of hitting them and says they want 250k, there is a chance the player might take the 250k because he knows he will get suspended without trial. I think that is what makes Goddell suspending players before court cases a bad idea.

 

[Doomsday101]

Not really think about it. A players knows that if they get into trouble they face a suspension reguardless of the outcome of a court case. So if you stand to loose 500k for a suspension and someone accuses your of hitting them and says they want 250k, there is a chance the player might take the 250k because he knows he will get suspended without trial. I think that is what makes Goddell suspending players before court cases a bad idea.

Who has he suspended that there was not evidence to back it up even prior to the court case? Pacman was in a public place and eye wittness all over the place add to that a history of bad behavior. He got what was coming and no I don't think Goodell has crossed any line he is doing what Tags should have been doing a long time ago.

 

[superpunk]

sounds like Goddell just made NFL players targets for extortion. With the way things are I think you are going to see more and more people have "incidents" with NFL players because they know the players are going to be suspended if they go to the police.

This is another interesting line of thought, one we've already seen play out. (I think it was just last week.)

These guys have already gotten in trouble, and Goodell has made it known that he will suspend them excessively, and perhaps for no reason. I don't remember him saying Henry would be out on his next offense, but if he did, Henry instantly becomes a target for money-grubbing trash that thinks he would rather pay them off than face an irrational commissioner's wrath.

But let's all stand around and applaud him.

These guys were targets already. Our own Michael Irvin had to deal with this last summer. Goodell's irrational behavior has just made them more so. That's not to say these guys aren't at fault for getting in trouble, but this opens them up to more erroneous charges aimed at getting money for nothing.

That may not be what happened here, but it smells fishy, and we just saw something like this go down in Cincinnati last week.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

This is another interesting line of thought, one we've already seen play out. (I think it was just last week.)

These guys have already gotten in trouble, and Goodell has made it known that he will suspend them excessively, and perhaps for no reason. I don't remember him saying Henry would be out on his next offense, but if he did, Henry instantly becomes a target for money-grubbing trash that thinks he would rather pay them off than face an irrational commissioner's wrath.

But let's all stand around and applaud him.

These guys were targets already. Our own Michael Irvin had to deal with this last summer. Goodell's irrational behavior has just made them more so. That's not to say these guys aren't at fault for getting in trouble, but this opens them up to more erroneous charges aimed at getting money for nothing.

That may not be what happened here, but it smells fishy, and we just saw something like this go down in Cincinnati last week.

I would have to agree with this statement...

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

You guys do realize that the NFL has it's own investigators or hires investigators to look into matters.

If they get a report from investigators that it was nothing but a bogus story to extort money from a player I doubt they are going to suspend the player.

It does not mean they have to wait on a court case but I don't think they are just going to read an article and ban the guy for life.

 

[superpunk]

You guys do realize that the NFL has it's own investigators or hires investigators to look into matters.

If they get a report from investigators that it was nothing but a bogus story to extort money from a player I doubt they are going to suspend the player.

It does not mean they have to wait on a court case but I don't think they are just going to read an article and ban the guy for life.

That doesn't mean the players haven't been opened up to more extortion attempts because of recent developments. That's what's being said above.

 

[WoodysGirl]

You guys do realize that the NFL has it's own investigators or hires investigators to look into matters.

If they get a report from investigators that it was nothing but a bogus story to extort money from a player I doubt they are going to suspend the player.

It does not mean they have to wait on a court case but I don't think they are just going to read an article and ban the guy for life.

Why do you have to ruin it for all the conspiracy theorists?

As for the story, it's very questionable. A lot of holes can be poked into that story if that's all they have. I'm sure the NFL and it's legion of former FBI and secret servicemen will be able to determine the truth.

 

[Hostile]

Not really think about it. A players knows that if they get into trouble they face a suspension reguardless of the outcome of a court case. So if you stand to loose 500k for a suspension and someone accuses your of hitting them and says they want 250k, there is a chance the player might take the 250k because he knows he will get suspended without trial. I think that is what makes Goddell suspending players before court cases a bad idea.

You're kidding right? Last week there was a story about a woman in her 80's trying to extort money from Bart Starr. She threatened to go public with an affair they didn't have if he didn't pay her.

Ever heard of Khalid Reeves? When he was an 18 year old basketball player here at the University of Arizona a woman who was 25 accused him of rape. Khalid's name got splashed all over the papers, she got to be anonymous. I used to coach with a man who sent 2 sons to the NFL for brief careers. I know him and his family quite well. His wife worked in the Adminstration department for the UA. This young woman had gone to them and said if she wasn't paid 50k and given free tuition and books for life she was going to bring down the Basketball program. She was turned down and went right to the police with rape charges. Her charges got dropped when no less than 7 of the players came forward to say they had been with her and she likes things freaky. An 18 year old kid got his name smeared forever.

That isn't even extraordinary. Ask anyone on this site who played a college sport. Coaches warn you about these activities all the time. There are women out there trying to get pregnant by an athlete so that they are set for life.

Charles Barkley was cleared of charges stemming from a fight after it was revealed that the man he fought told people he was going to start the fight so he could collect some cash. Barkley refused to pay, the man sued, and lost. Barkley paid more money for his defense than the man asked for as shut up money. To him that wasn't the point.

The point is, Goodell has facilitated anything. This mindset has always been there. You can't even call it a new twist to an old scam until you know Henry and McNeal are innocent.

 

[BouncingCheese]

I don't know if he beat the kid up or not, but if he did I doubt he just stopped for no reason and started hitting the kid.

I have to wonder if the kid threw something at the truck or did something. Not that it is right what Henry and the guy did but I just can't see two guys riding a few blocks from their house and just for the heck of it jumping out and beating up some teenager.

Think you are probably closer to the truth than we know.