Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew received no charges for his role in an alleged bar fight that took place on Memorial Day weekend in which he was accused of hitting a bouncer. Simple battery charges against Jone-Drew were dismissed as the Florida state attorney's office failed to compile any evidence proving his guilt in the altercation.
"Based on the facts and the law, the state cannot establish the charge beyond and to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt," the state attorney's office said in the statement, which was obtained by News4Jax.com in Jacksonville.
Jones-Drew spoke to members of the media earlier this month but denied questions regarding the altercation at the St. Augustine restaurant/bar, the Conch House, on May 26. The police report originally claimed that Jones-Drew was involved in the incident and punched a bouncer, which he and his agent denied. Gregory Anderson, the attorney representing the bouncer accusing Jones-Drew of battery, called the incident an "unprovoked attack."
The attorney claimed that he and his client, Kasim Howard, had video evidence proving that Jones-Drew attacked his client without cause. However, the star running back's agent, Adisa Bakari, continues to claim his client's innocence.
The 28-year-old running back will now focus on making his NFL return with the Jaguars. Jones-Drew missed 10 games last season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot and opted to undergo surgery. He gained a career low 414 yards and just one touchdown before suffering the injury ending his season on Oct. 21.
Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards in 2011. He currently has 7,168 yards and 74 total touchdowns during his seven year NFL career.
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