NFL quarterback Geno Smith can finally breathe a little easier. A police investigation involving the Jets star has officially been labeled “inactive,” meaning authorities are not currently moving forward with additional investigative steps.
The Davie Police Department in Florida released a report stating that “no further investigative steps can be reasonably taken with the information presently available.” In simple terms, the investigation has hit the pause button.
And yes, “pause button” might be the most accurate way to describe it. The case is not exactly disappearing into thin air, but police are basically saying they have reached the point where there is not enough new information to continue.
The investigation was connected to an incident that reportedly happened at Smith’s home in Davie on June 21.
According to the report, the allegation was made by a woman who identified herself, and was identified by Smith, as being employed by the quarterback as a “manager” whose duties included childcare for Smith’s 6-year-old son. Smith told police that the two were in an intimate relationship in high school but are not currently dating and do not have a child together. Per the report, Smith said she occasionally spends the night at his residence as part of her childcare duties, and the two have engaged in sexual activities. Smith and the woman both alleged that, during an altercation, the other person stole property and was physically abusive.
For Smith, this is likely welcome news. NFL players already deal with enough pressure trying to avoid 300-pound defenders chasing them every Sunday. Adding a police investigation to the list is not exactly the kind of extra challenge anyone wants.
According to the report, Smith provided police with Ring camera footage (which, the police said, did not show a physical altercation) and told investigators he did not know how to retrieve footage recorded by security cameras. An investigating officer said he observed a bruise on the woman’s arm and a small cut on the webbing of a hand between her thumb and index finger, as well as scratches on Smith’s face. The woman was asked by police to provide a sworn statement at the Davie Police Department on June 24 but did not show up. After police reached her via phone July 7 and rescheduled her visit for July 9, she again did not appear. Smith, through his lawyer, declined to provide a sworn statement to police.
The report reads: “(D)ue to the inability to review surveillance footage, conflicting stories, and lack of independent witnesses, I was unable to determine the primary aggressor in the physical altercation … any future investigative action is contingent on additional information or evidence being brought forward.”
The NFL world moves fast, and every headline gets attention. But this latest update brings a quieter moment in the situation surrounding Geno Smith.
For now, the quarterback can focus on football, where the biggest thing he has to worry about is reading defenses, not police reports.
