Chiefs Assistant Coach Charged for Alleged Domestic Battery to His Daughter Hours Before NFL Draft

NEED TO KNOW

• Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to court documents

• Merritt, a former NFL player, is entering his eighth season coaching with the Chiefs and 25th in the NFL
• The Chiefs have not commented on the allegations, which come just hours before the 2026 NFL Draft begins

Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was charged Thursday on allegations of domestic battery to his daughter, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

Merritt, a former NFL player, was arrested in Overland Park, Kan. on Wednesday, April 22 and charged Thursday morning with misdemeanor domestic battery. In a complaint filed by the Johnson County District Attorney's office, Merritt is accused of "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly cause bodily harm to a person," whom they name as Drayah Merritt.

Drayah is listed on Merritt's bio page on the Chiefs website as one of his two daughters, who he shares, along with three sons, with wife Yolanda.

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According to the complaint, the charge is a "class B person misdemeanor, which constitutes a domestic violence offense."

PEOPLE has reached out to the Chiefs for comment.

Merritt is set to begin his eighth season with the Chiefs this year, and his 25th coaching in the NFL. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he coached for the New York Jets, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. Merritt, a linebacker, previously played for the Cardinals for three seasons, after a one-season stint with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in 1993.

The Chiefs will select 9th and 29th in the 2026 NFL Draft, beginning tonight.

Read the original article on People