Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders investigated, cleared in sex assault case
Jan 18, 2018, 1:52 PM
A grand jury earlier this month found “insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge” against Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders regarding a sexual assault complaint in Harris County, Texas, dating back to June of last year.
First reported by TMZ.com Thursday morning, Sanders had been the focus of a felony sexual assault investigation in Harris County, which encompasses Houston and much of the surrounding area, where the Broncos wide receiver has a home.
Court documents reportedly obtained by the celebrity news site said a grand jury in “failed to find a bill of indictment,” meaning it had failed to find sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
According to a statement from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, authorities received a complaint regarding Sanders on June 15, which was “thoroughly investigated and all involved parties, including Mr. Sanders, were interviewed by investigators.”
After completion of the investigation, “, evidence and witness statements were presented to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether a criminal charge should be filed,” per the statement.
“The Harris County District Attorney’s Office presented the case to a grand jury, which determined on Jan. 9 that there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge,” according to the statement.
Shortly after the initial TMZ report, the Denver Broncos issued a statement saying they would be “looking into” the situation.
“We are aware of the media report involving Emmanuel Sanders and are looking into it,” the Broncos said in a statement.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold that the report was “under review.”
Sanders, who turns 31 in March, enters the final two years of his three-year contract extension completed ahead of the 2016 season.
According to Spotrac.com, $6.9 million of Sanders’ 2018 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 18, and the wide receiver will have a cap hit of $10.9 million next season with a dead cap of $5.3 million.
The eight-year pro is coming off statically his worst season since signing with the Broncos in 2014, pulling in just 47 receptions for 555 yards and two touchdowns.
Among the entire Broncos receiving corps in 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Sanders as the third-best wideout on the team (70.7 overall) behind Cody Latimer (76.1) and Demaryius Thomas (75.3).
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.
