Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Dave Merritt has been arrested.
On Thursday, April 23, CBS affiliate KOLR 10 OzarksFirst reported that Merritt, 54, was arrested by Overland Park police on suspicion of domestic battery the night prior.
According to an online complaint obtained by The Athletic, Merritt’s misdemeanor charge refers to “knowingly, or recklessly (causing) bodily harm to a person, to wit: Drayah Merritt.” Under his bio on the Chiefs’ website, he’s listed as having a daughter named Drayah.
Merritt also shares three sons – David Jr., Devin, Dawson – and daughter Kiki with wife Yolonda.
He was scheduled to make an appearance in court on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. local time.
The Kansas City Star later reported that Merritt requested court-appointed counsel who entered a not guilty plea for him. Prosecutors asked for a $2,500 bond and a no-contact order, while the defense argued for release on personal recognizance due to his lack of a criminal record. Judge Wayne Smith ultimately allowed his release on a $2,500 bond, with conditions including no contact with the alleged victim and no alcohol, drugs or firearms.
Merritt’s arrest came just hours before the 2026 NFL draft, and social media users expressed their disappointment in the situation online.
“Every time the Chiefs are about to have some type of exciting moment, this s**t happens,” wrote one person on X.
“I open Twitter hoping to see the Draft Day buzz, etc and the first thing I see is the Dave Merritt news,” another person added. “WTF?! Logging back out.”
Chiefs star Travis Kelce has spoken about Merritt in the past and described him as “unbelievable” during an episode of his podcast, New Heights. In 2024, Merritt also praised Kelce’s high-profile relationship with fiancée Taylor Swift.
“[Taylor] actually affected the team in a positive way,” Merritt said during an episode of The Sports Shop With Reese and Kmac at the time. “Everybody was excited that Travis was happy. So when my player, my brother, is happy beside me, that helps me and that encourages me.”
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