Chiefs’ Isaiah Buggs allegedly dragged woman down stairs before his arrest Sunday

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 30: Isaiah Buggs #96 of the Detroit Lions looks on from the sideline during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
By Lukas Weese
Jun 18, 2024

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs allegedly dragged a woman, who is the mother of his child, down the stairs of her apartment before getting arrested Sunday, according to Tuscaloosa (Ala.) district court documents filed Monday.

On June 16, Buggs allegedly entered the apartment of Yamya Johnson “unlawfully” and with the “intent to commit a crime,” according to the documents. According to police, Buggs broke into the apartment with a tire iron and dragged Johnson down the stairs, causing “scratch marks” on her wrists. Buggs then left the apartment, according to the court documents.

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Officers responded to a 911 call at 5:28 a.m. CT from the 1600 block of Mimosa Park Road, according to police records. As police turned onto Mimosa Park Road, they said they saw a white Cadillac belonging to Buggs in the parking lot of a nearby Little Caesars. Buggs was standing beside the vehicle before police arrested him, according to the deposition.

Buggs was booked early Sunday morning on a second-degree domestic violence charge and a second-degree burglary charge. He was released on a $5,000 bond, according to Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office records.

The Chiefs are aware of Buggs’ arrest and declined to comment. Buggs’ agent, Trey Robinson, did not immediately respond when asked for comment on the arrest.

In late May, Buggs was accused of animal cruelty in Tuscaloosa, according to a civil petition obtained by The Athletic.

Tuscaloosa police received information on March 28 about two dogs left on the back porch of a home that investigators found was rented by Buggs, per the petition. Witnesses said Buggs recently moved out of the house, and investigators determined Buggs’ lease was terminated in April because he owed more than $3,100 in back rent.

The dogs were taken from the house because they were “severely malnourished, emaciated, neglected and the residence appearing to be abandoned,” per the petition. An animal shelter later euthanized the pit bull after it became increasingly aggressive and failed heartworm treatment, while the Rottweiler mix — which arrived at a low weight of 52 pounds and tested positive for a viral illness — remained at the shelter, the petition said.

Authorities obtained two misdemeanor warrants against Buggs for second-degree cruelty to dogs or cats, with the petition requesting the court set a hearing date within 10 days to determine whether Buggs is fit to have custody of the Rottweiler mix.

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Buggs, 27, signed a futures contract with the Chiefs in February after spending last season on their practice squad. He played two seasons with the Detroit Lions and three with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers selected Buggs in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. In his NFL career, Buggs has recorded 89 tackles and two sacks.

(Photo: Perry Knotts / Getty Images)

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Lukas Weese

Lukas Weese is a Staff Editor of News at The Athletic. Before The Athletic, Lukas was a freelance sports journalist, working as an associate editor at Sportsnet, an OHL reporter for the Toronto Star and had bylines in outlets such as ESPN's Andscape, USA Today, Complex, Yahoo Sports, GOLF Magazine, Just Women's Sports and Raptors Republic. Lukas also does freelance play-by-play broadcasting. Follow Lukas on Twitter @Weesesports