Merriman Will Not Face Charges Over Tequila Incident

The San Diego District Attorney has declined to press charges against Shawn Merriman, saying, "After a thorough review of the investigation into the Sept. 6, 2009 incident at the Poway home of Shawne Merriman, our office has determined there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed."

A relieved and appreciative Shawn Merriman issued a statement after learning his name had been cleared.

Earlier today I learned that after a thorough review of the investigation, the San Diego District Attorney's office has closed the case involving me. I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's office for carefully reviewing the evidence and not rushing to judgment on these serious allegations.

 

I also appreciate the objectiveness expressed by the San Diego Chargers ownership and management, my teammates, my friends and especially all the fans.

I look forward to continuing to stay focused on my career goals: a great season of football and the success of the San Diego Chargers.

Apparently the San Diego District Attorney's office is hesitant to get involved in a he-said-she-said dispute between a bi-sexual serial dating reality show star and the guy who invented the "Lights Out" sack celebration. Who knew?

ESPN is reporting that, despite what Tila Tequila said in a recently-deleted Twitter post, the DA has no current plan to meet with her:

Tila Tequila, the reality TV star who accused Shawne Merriman of domestic violence last weekend, said via her Twitter feed that she will meet with the San Diego County district attorney's office on Friday.

Apparently, that is news to the district attorney. Paul Levikow, communications director for the San Diego County DA's office, told ESPN on Thursday afternoon that there is no meeting scheduled with Tequila.

If he's charged with a crime, rest assured, Shawne Merriman will be getting a call from the league office and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Yahoo! Sports' speculates that if charged, he'll face an immediate four-game suspension:

Merriman is in a war of words with former girlfriend Tila Tequila about just what the heck he was doing when he supposedly choked Tequila and threw her to the ground on Saturday night when she was trying to leave his house. Merriman is saying he "in no way caused any harm" to Tequila, who was checked over by paramedics on the scene. Tequila, of course, says otherwise.

But the word is that if Merriman gets charged at all, the league is ready to suspend him for four games.

So despite the legitimate skepticism that could be levied in his accuser's direction--last night's Twitter binge was the latest in her public displays of possible instability--"the word" that Yahoo!'s getting says that Merriman will be suspended.

We've seen this before, of course: the NFL has the ability to suspend a player for violating its broad "Personal Conduct Policy (pdf)", regardless of whether he's actually convicted in a court of law. If he's charged, that would be enough to merit suspension under the current guidelines.

For now, the speculation is just that: unsourced rumors and hypotheticals. Should the San Diego DA choose to charge Merriman later this week, however, don't be surprised to see the league act quickly, here. The criminal justice system takes time and can get bogged down in he-said-she-said disputes and tedious legal machinations; Roger Goodell is far more efficient in administering justice.

You thought the Shawne Merriman-Tila Tequila legal battle was going to get classier? Oh ... oh no. It's going in the opposite direction, and fast.

The latest details come from 10 News in San Diego, and they are something to behold:

The sources told Vara that witnesses at Merriman's home said the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker went to his bedroom with two women.

Sources said Tequila walked into the room and Merriman asked her to join them. However, the sources said Tequila reacted angrily and threatened to have sex with a member of Merriman's entourage.

According to sources, Tequila was intoxicated, and she got naked and attempted to leave the house.

Because, naturally, when you're getting ready to leave the house in the middle of the night, it's always a good idea to get naked. Right.

The best part of the whole bit, though, is the following. This is Shawne Merriman's moment of glory:

After practice on Wednesday, Vara talked to Merriman, but he did not discuss specifics about the case.

Vara asked Merriman to clarify his relationship with Tequila, and he immediately contacted his attorney.

"I don't know if … let me text my lawyer real quick," he said.

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

In light of Shawne Merriman's statement late Sunday night, Tila Tequila will tell her side of the story, according to a post on her twitter account Monday night. Her words:

Tomorrow....I get to speak. God Bless....xox

So we wait until tomorrow, and things should become a lot clearer as to what exactly happened on Monday night.

That said, she also made plenty of suggestive comments tonight, again all via Twitter:

I fear nothing and no one. You know that. God saw everything and God will always know the truth.....Only the truth behind those curtains....

RT: "Steroid Abuse Can Cause Aggression"-http://tinyurl.com/ljkbbl

Steroid use makes people act aggressive....known fact.

I have a baggage with me loaded with interesting truths inside of it.....

I am allergic to alcohol. It has been publicly known for years. That is how I got the name Tila "Tequila" cuz the irony. I cant drink.

By alluding to her alcohol allergy, clearly, she's casting doubt on Merriman's allibi. That, and "God saw everything" is a little bit ominous. Throw in her "interesting truths" and references to steroids, and it sounds like Tila Tequila is about to make Shawne Merriman's world a lot more complicated...

This was sent to the press via email last night:

On September 6, 2009 the San Diego Sheriffs Department responded to a citizens complaint that was initiated by Tila Nguyen (aka Tila Tequila). I was taken into custody based upon that complaint. At the time, I was concerned about her welfare given the intoxicated state she appeared to be in and I encouraged her to stay until safe transportation could be provided. We would all do our best to help a friend if we considered their actions to be detrimental to their personal safety. I in no way caused any harm to Ms Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported. She was released and has since returned to Los Angeles, California. There have been no charges filed against me. I want to thank the San Diego Sheriffs Department for their professionalism. I will continue to cooperate fully with the Department and I look forward to clearing my name regarding these false allegations. I want to put this behind me so I can continue to focus on a successful season for the San Diego Chargers.

So, looks likes he's done exactly as expected: claimed he was stopping her from driving drunk. I realize we aren't supposed to give athletes the benefit of the doubt, but if that above statement is what really happened, then Merriman should be commended for what he did. Assuming he didn't use excessive force to stop her, which it doesn't appear he did based on her lack of injuries and the police department's lack of charges.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says that Shawne Merriman intends to claim that he was attempting to prevent an intoxicated Tila "Tequila" Nguyen from driving. This, he's expected to contend, was the reason he restrained Nguyen and prevented her from leaving his home.

San Diego's News 6 is reporting that Shawne Merriman has been released from jail. Other details regarding Merriman's incident with Tila "Tequila" Nguyen are being made known:

"From what I understand, she was not seriously hurt. She was able to talk, able to walk,'' [sheriff's office representatrive Jan] Caldwell said.

It's funny, because it's true. It's a popular refrain when trying to describe the allure of particularly good comedy, and last week, reading another of Drew Magary's fantastic "Why Your Team Sucks"-NFL previews over at Deadspin, you couldn't help but chuckle:

You've got LaSulkysulk making like Jay Cutler on the bench. You've got proven roid users in Luis Castillo and the rapetastic Shawne Merriman. Wideout Vincent Jackson got a DUI. I think the Chargers get away with all this strictly because they have such awesome uniforms.

Tila Tequila, for those who don't watch MTV or frequent her wildly popular MySpace account, first made waves when she was the most popular artist on MySpace in 2006, and later hosted a bi-sexual dating reality show on MTV. More recently, she's delved into the world of fashion.

If both of the characters in this story are cartoons of contemporary culture--Merriman the hulking, unhinged product of modern-day sports, Tequila a product of the new age in reality programming--that doesn't make the alleged crime last night any less tragic. It's much more fun to call someone "rapetastic" when they haven't alledgedly choked a woman that was trying to leave for the night.

Further details are sure to emerge in this case, but for now, TMZ is reporting that Tila Tequila has left the hospital, so that's good news.