Johnson County prosecutors this week upgraded a criminal charge against Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross to a felony.
Ross now faces one felony charge for criminal damage greater than $1,000 but less than $25,000. He also faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.
The charges stem from an incident at Ross’s Shawnee apartment in late October.
A criminal affidavit says Shawnee Police responded to a call of a disturbance on the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 23.
Recorded radio traffic from that day indicates the disturbance occurred at a residence at the Blume Shawnee apartments in the 6100 block of Nieman Road near downtown.
When officers arrived they spoke to Ross’s girlfriend, according to the affidavit, who said Ross “found something on her phone that upset him.”
Ross later told police he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him and got angry.
Ross’s girlfriend told police that Ross “began yelling … and told her to get her stuff and get out.”
She says he pushed her, threw her on the floor and began throwing things at her.
Officers on the scene observed a “small scratch” on her hand, the affidavit says.
The affidavit goes on to say that the girlfriend alleges Ross broke a laptop (which Ross claimed was his), a cellphone and jewelry.
Ross also allegedly took scissors and scratched the side of his girlfriend’s Mercedes. The affidavit says the damage done to the car was estimated at less than $1,000.
Officers observed fresh scratch marks on the vehicle and an unnamed neighbor who witnessed the incident also said he saw Ross scratching his girlfriend’s car.
The affidavit lists witnesses to the incident that include the names of Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Cornell Powell.
Ross was later arrested and originally charged with two misdemeanors.
A day after his arrest, he was released from the custody of the Johnson County Adult Detention Center in Olathe.
Ross was later placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he cannot practice or play with the team.
He remains out on bond, under a judge’s order not to contact the victim.
