Bengals RB Joe Mixon facing lawsuit over March shooting on his property

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is facing a civil lawsuit after a 16-year-old boy was shot on his property in March, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby. Both Mixon and Lamonte Brewer, who shot the boy in the right foot, are listed in the lawsuit filed by the boy’s family in Hamilton County Court this week.

Mixon was never charged in the shooting and was never a suspect. However, the family claims that he supplied both the bullets and the Zastava M92 gun that Brewer used in the shooting. They stated that Mixon has “had many opportunities to settle” but “has taken no responsibility for any of the harm that he has caused.”

Brewer, the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, Shalonda Mixon, was charged with felonious assault, one count of tampering with evidence and two counts of having weapons while under disability. Shalonda Mixon was charged with tampering with evidence.

Mixon’s trainer, Sean Pena, said in a 911 call at the time of the incident that the boy appeared to be carrying a Kel-Tec gun. However, that turned out to be a toy gun as he was playing a game of “nerf wars” with his friends.

The family suing Mixon is claiming negligence, saying that he asked two children what they were doing prior to that shooting. Both children are willing to testify in court regarding the exchange, with the family saying it is “utterly ridiculous” that Mixon could have believed he was in any real danger.

“The defense that the Mixon home occupants felt in fear of their lives from 16-year-old high school students playing Nerf Wars with green, blue, and grey colored toy nerf rifles in the neighbor’s yard is utterly ridiculous, unbelievable,” the lawsuit states, “and it is unreasonable that Joe Mixon or anyone in Mixon’s home could have feared for their lives.”

Furthermore, the lawsuit said the family sold its home in June “because they did not feel safe” living next to Mixon. The running back is set to be represented in the civil case by his homeowners insurance attorneys.

The civil lawsuit against Joe Mixon is not the only case he is currently facing involving a gun. He has a trial coming up on Aug. 14 after being charged with aggravated menacing when a woman alleged he pointed a gun at her and threatened to shoot her in a fit of road rage in January.

Mixon has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated menacing charge. He has not spoken publicly about either incident as he prepares to enter his seventh season with the Bengals.