NASHVILLE, Tenn. – L’Jarius Sneed said he didn't do it and officials now agree. But he's not entirely out of trouble yet.
The Titans' cornerback initially faced a felony charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for a Dec. 6, 2024 shooting in Carrollton, Texas.
But in court documents responding to the connected civil suit, Sneed’s attorney said that he was not liable because the alleged acts, if any, were performed by a third party “without any assistance, encouragement, or direction by L’Jarius Sneed.”
The criminal case has now been sent to the grand jury for a Sept. 25 hearing, but for a reduced class A misdemeanor charge of failure to report. In Texas, it's a crime to fail to report a felony if you witnessed it under circumstances where a reasonable person would believe serious bodily injury or death may have resulted.
A grand jury could indict him for that. Then, if he's found guilty of that formal charge, he could be sentenced to up to a year in county jail, a fine of up to $4,000 or both.
Tekonzae Warmek Williams, who police said was with Sneed when shots were fired out of their car at an auto dealership, still faces the felony assault with a deadly weapon charge and has the same grand jury date as Sneed.
He told me he has severed his relationship with Williams, whose LinkedIn profile says he started as Sneed's personal assistant in Jan. 2022 and remains in the position.
“I do not associate with that dude anymore,” Sneed said.
Sneed passed a physical on his troublesome knee on Wednesday and was removed from the team’s physically unable to perform list, joining the team’s cornerbacks for light work during their individual period.
Afterwards, talking to a group of reporters, he said he had “no concerns” about the legal situation, which also includes the civil case.
The civil case was filed by Christian Nshimiyimana and Avi Ahmed, who seek over $1 million in compensatory damages, fees and relief for infliction of bodily injury (though there were no reported gunshot wounds), threat of bodily injury, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy and negligence.
It alleges that Sneed and Williams pulled up in a rented Lamborghini Urus on Dec. 6, 2024 and shot multiple times at him in a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, which was struck by bullets, as was One Legacy Motors, outside which the vehicle was parked.
[This story was edited from an earlier version at 6:47 pm.]
