Court dismisses domestic battery case against Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt

Dave Merritt has been on the Chiefs' staff since 2019. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Longtime Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt is no longer facing a domestic battery charge. The District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, dismissed his case without prejudice on Thursday, just about two weeks after his arrest, per court records.

Merritt, a 54-year-old Chiefs assistant who has coached the team’s DBs since 2019, was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of domestic battery the night of April 22. He was facing a Class B Person misdemeanor, which constitutes a domestic violence offense, according to the complaint the county’s district attorney’s office filed against him on April 23.

In the complaint, it was alleged that Merritt “unlawfully, knowingly or recklessly [caused] bodily harm” to a daughter.

Merritt has five children, according to his Chiefs bio, including two daughters.

He pleaded not guilty and was released on $2,500 bond, according to court records.

“The DA’s office looked at it a little more thoroughly and reviewed some additional information and agreed it was a matter that should be dismissed,” Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginie, told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Merritt has spent seven seasons in his role with the Chiefs, helping Kansas City win each of its three Super Bowls during its dynasty under head coach Andy Reid. Before that, Merritt won a pair of rings with the New York Giants, whom he worked for from 2004-17.

During those tenures, Merritt worked extensively under former Giants and current Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Merritt has never held a defensive coordinator position, although he reportedly interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers’ DC opening in 2024.

Merritt has overseen the development of a collection of standout Chiefs defensive backs. One of those was cornerback Trent McDuffie, who inked a record-breaking, four-year, $124 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason.

Last week, Merritt was reportedly on the field for Chiefs rookie minicamp practices, along with other coaches on staff. Reid said Merritt had been “upfront with everything” concerning his arrest, according to The Athletic.