Prosecutors reveal why Chiefs coach Dave Merritt’s domestic battery case dropped

Dave Merritt’s domestic battery case was dropped on Thursday, and on Friday, officials released a statement to The California Post explaining why.

“As prosecutors,” a spokesperson for the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office said, “we have an ethical duty to do the right thing based on the evidence and the law. After reviewing additional evidence, we do not believe a crime has been committed by Mr. Merritt and therefore we dismissed the case.”

Merritt, an assistant coach on Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs staff, was arrested on April 22 — the day before the 2026 NFL Draft — after he was accused of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing “bodily harm” to a daughter in Johnson County, Kansas, according to a complaint filed by prosecutors.

Merritt was later charged with misdemeanor domestic battery — a count he pleaded not guilty to on April 23 while appearing before a judge.

Reid addressed the matter with media members multiple times over the last two weeks, including on Saturday, when he said his defensive backs coach had “been very up-front with everything.”

“We’re still going through that whole procedure,” Reid added. “In this case, you always let the law enforcement part take care of itself and work its way out.”

Following the prosecutors’ decision to close the case on Thursday, Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginie, told NFL Network, “The DA’s office looked at it a little more thoroughly and reviewed some additional information and agreed it was a matter that should be dismissed.”

Merritt, who played linebacker in the NFL in the 1990s, joined Reid’s staff in 2019. He previously coached for the Jets, Giants and Cardinals.

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