Cardinals cut DE Darius Philon after arrest for allegedly threatening to shoot woman outside strip club
Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Philon was arrested Friday morning for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over an alleged incident outside a strip club, according to TMZ.
The arrest spelled the quick end of Philon’s Cardinals tenure, as the team announced it was releasing him the day after the arrest.
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Philon is reportedly accused of pointing a gun and threatening to shoot a dancer at around 2:15 a.m. on May 17, according to a police report.
The allegations against Darius Philon
Per TMZ, the alleged victim claimed that Philon asked her to follow him outside to his BMW where he kept his money. Once there, she said Philon pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at her chest, asking “which one of you wants a bullet?” The victim said she responded by running back into the club while Philon drove away.
Philon reportedly returned to the club the next night and told the victim he “wanted to make things right.” That apparently took the form of asking her to walk out with him again, then grabbing her arm after she refused. She said he then followed her around the club for 30 minutes before leaving.
The alleged incident was not immediately reported to police according to TMZ, but the Phoenix Police Department launched an investigation once the victim reported Philon. The investigation ended with Philon’s arrest, and the defensive end is now set to appear before a judge on Saturday.
Cardinals quickly cut Philon after arrest
The Cardinals didn’t have much to say about Philon at practice on Saturday, but head coach Kliff Kingsbury did say the team is aware if the situation.
“With regards to Darius Philon, obviously we are aware of the situation and the serious allegations,” Kingsbury said. “It’s been reported to the league and so we will allow that process from a legal perspective and a league standpoint to move forward and aren’t allowed to comment further at this time.”
Hours later, the team plainly announced Philon’s release.
We are releasing Darius Philon.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 10, 2019
Philon was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft and signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Cardinals this offseason. He was a potential starter for the Cardinals defense heading into this season, but now he finds himself a free agent and facing a potential criminal conviction.
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