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Criminal damage charge against Chiefs' Justyn Ross upgraded from misdemeanor to felony

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross makes a catch and run during warmups before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross remains on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross is no longer facing a misdemeanor domestic battery and property damage charge. They've now been upgraded.

As of Tuesday, prosecutors amended the charges to felony criminal damage exceeding $1,000 but less than $25,000 in the Johnson County Courts system. Ross, who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson last year, has a scheduled court appearance Dec. 4.

The second-year veteran has been on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List since Oct 27. In addition to not being allowed to practice, Ross is also banned from games and missed contests against the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany.

The case stems from a disturbance between Ross and his then-girlfriend on Oct. 23 at a Shawnee, Kansas, apartment complex.

A probable cause affidavit filed with the courts shed light on the alleged events. Ross told police that he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him and kicked her out of their apartment. The girlfriend informed police that Ross became upset by something he saw on her phone.

In the documents, she went on to say that Ross allegedly threw her on the floor and threw things at her, too. A laptop, cellphone, jewelry, broken car key and scratch marks on the woman’s Mercedes-Benz were some of the damaged items listed in the police report.

On Oct. 24, Ross appeared in court via video. He was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery with no priors and misdemeanor criminal damage less than $1,000. The 23-year-old entered a not guilty plea.