In early August, Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Philon was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He had allegedly threatened to shoot a woman outside of a strip club in an incident on May 17. According to TMZ, the alleged victim waited before ultimately going to the Phoenix Police Department. Now, footage of the alleged incident has since been found.
In surveillance footage obtained by TMZ Sports, Philon can be seen walking to his car with two dancers, as well as other individuals. They all talk at a white BMW sedan, but it’s unclear from the blurry footage if the former Arizona Cardinals defender was holding a weapon. Ultimately, the dancers return to the club while Philon gets in the car and is driven away.
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According to TMZ, the Philon is still waiting to receive formal charges in the case. “We received the case for review less than a week ago and are currently reviewing it for a charging decision,” a representative for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office said.
The alleged incident originally occurred on May 17 around 2:15 a.m. The victim said that she and another dancer headed to the parking lot with Philon so that he could pay them. However, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at their chests before leaving in the white BMW.
Additionally, Philon allegedly returned to the club the following night in order to tell the victim that he wanted to make things right. He allegedly grabbed her arm after she refused to leave with him, but she was able to get away and return to work. Although the victim alleges that he followed her around for an estimated 30 minutes.
Following Philon’s arrest, the Arizona Cardinals released a statement to say that they were aware of the situation and had informed the league office. However, the team ultimately released Philon six hours after releasing the statement. This brought his tenure with the team to an end mere months after signing a two-year, $10 million contract.
“We are aware of the situation and very serious allegations involving Darius Philon,” The Cardinals said in a statement, per NFL.com. We have informed the National Football League as required by the league’s Personal Conduct Policy and will comment further when appropriate.”
Originally a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Chargers, Philon headed to the NFC West after four seasons with the Bolts. During his career, he has tallied 80 combined tackles and 9.5 sacks.
