The headline from Tuesday was that Jets quarterback Geno Smith won’t be charged in connection with an alleged assault from last month that took social media by storm.
The details reveal that the entire incident was a literal shitstorm.
Via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, the case was indeed closed due to a lack of evidence. But the documents paint a picture of some sort of extended altercation in and around Smith’s home.
“Due to the inability to review surveillance footage, conflicting stories, and lack of independent witnesses, [the officer] was unable to determine the primary aggressor in the physical altercation,” the report from the Davie, Florida, police explains.
The alleged victim, Kristen Stubbs, reportedly failed to show up for two appointments to provide a sworn statement to police. Her attorney later informed the police that she would not be providing one.
That alone makes it virtually impossible to come to any conclusion that could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“No further investigative steps can be reasonably taken with the information presently available,” the report says. “Any future investigative action is contingent on additional information or evidence being brought forward.”
Stubbs, described as Smith’s “longtime friend and casual intimate partner,” was providing paid childcare services for Smith’s son in her role as Smith’s “manager.” In the video she posted to social media, she claimed that “Geno just beat my ass,” and that he had broken her computer and stolen $800 from her car.
Stubbs claimed that the situation began when Smith demanded she bring his son home, or Smith would file a police report for kidnapping. She then bypassed the usual drop-off point at a guarded gate, entered Smith’s home, put the boy in his room, and took a gift she had bought for Smith. She claimed that Smith shoved her to the ground to prevent her from entering her vehicle.
The report explains that Stubbs went back into Smith’s home and “grabbed multiple, high-value watches” as “collateral” for the allegedly broken computer and the allegedly stolen money. Smith told police that the value of the watches and other jewelry she had seized had a value of $20 million.
Smith allegedly took the watches back “forcibly” and locked her out of the house. He allegedly prevented her from reentering by “grabbing, choking, and hitting her.”
Smith told police that he overheard Stubbs in his house without his consent, and that she punched and pushed him after an argument over his claim that she had stolen his property. He said she punched and scratched him multiple times while trying to get back inside the house. He also said he had to “grab her and push her away from the property.”
Ring camera footage that Smith provided showed Stubbs arriving at the house and aggressively knocking on the door. The surveillance images showed no physical altercation between Smith and Stubbs.
If Stubbs won’t be giving a sworn statement to police, there’s really nothing more for them to do. And if she’s not willing to cooperate with police, she likewise may not be willing to cooperate with the NFL, if it investigates the situation for a potential violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.
She could still pursue a civil action; the fact that she has an attorney could be a clue that something like this may be coming. For now, however, there’s apparently nothing that will come of it — even if something happened for which Smith could be disciplined by the league.
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