The Atlanta Falcons have released second-year linebacker Prince Shembo after he was charged with killing his girlfriend's Yorkie.
According to a police report, Shembo's girlfriend, Denicia Williams, left her dog, Dior, with Shembo for some time on April 15 and found him unresponsive upon her return.
Dior was alive when Williams returned to Shembo's apartment, but was incapable of moving or reacting, even when she poured a bottle of water on him.
The dog — which Williams was told "had suffered a brain aneurysm" — died at a nearby animal hospital.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, veterinarians ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma:
"The dog had a fractured rib, fractured liver, abdominal hemorrhage, thoracic hemorrhage, extensive bruising and hemorrhage in the muscles in her front leg and shoulders, head trauma, hemorrhage and edema in lungs, hemorrhage between the esophagus and trachea, and hemorrhage in the left eye with internal injuries," according to police.
The next day, Williams called Shembo and it was then that he allegedly told her he had kicked Dior.
According to the police report, "The complainant stated that she asked the suspect if it was just once and the suspect stated 'no.'"
Williams told police she cut off contact with Shembo, who she claims said he "might leave the country because he knows how much time he would do in prison for animal cruelty."
The Falcons released Shembo just hours after the police report and charges against him became public. Their statement on the matter was brief:
We are aware of the charges that have been filed against Prince Shembo. We are extremely disappointed that one of our players is involved in something like this. Accordingly, we have decided to waive Prince Shembo.
Shembo was drafted by and played one season for the Falcons.
While in school at Notre Dame, Shembo was the player accused of sexually assaulting Lizzy Seeberg, whose high-profile suicide in the wake of the school's investigation cast a spotlight on how universities handle campus rape.
Shembo, who maintains he never assaulted Seeberg, was never charged.