Michael Braxton, attorney for Chicago Bears wide receiver Byron Pringle, entered a plea of “not guilty” Thursday for the two charges related to Pringle’s viral arrest in April, according to Pasco County court documents. Braxton wrote Pringle is demanding a trial by jury, per the document.
Arrest report
Pringle is being charged with misdemeanor reckless driving and driving while license suspended or revoked. Arrest records allege Pringle’s vehicle made a loud sound with squealing tires, leaving a cloud of smoke, which reduced roadway visibility.
Justin Bloom, with Florida Highway Patrol, wrote in the arrest report he observed an orange Dodge Challenger leaving “tire marks on the roadway consistent with a vehicle performing ‘a donut.'” When checking FCIC/NCIC, Bloom noticed Pringle allegedly had his Florida driver’s license suspended for financial responsibility with a seize tag order and a “suspension failure to pay a traffic fine as of March 7, 2022,” per arrest documents.
Pringle was with an adult passenger and a male juvenile child in the vehicle, per arrest documents. The arrest report alleges Pringle ignored Bloom’s verbal commands and was verbally confrontational after being told he was being arrested. Video of the incident surfaced not long after the arrest.
Byron Pringle’s first season with the Bears
Pringle was brought in by the Bears general manager Ryan Poles during free agency this March. Pringle scored five touchdowns and had 568-yards receiving with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. Poles, who worked with the Chiefs as their executive director of player personnel in 2021, said in a press conference following the arrest that the incident would be handled in-house.
“I know him very well,” Poles said. “It’s not a reflection of who he is at all. At that point, it’s a disappointment. But we had good conversations about it. We’re in a good place.”
Pringle’s criminal history includes a plea of guilty for burglary, battery, and grand theft, per court records. He was a teenager when these accusations were brought against him.
CCS reached out to Braxton’s office for comment, but the call was not immediately returned.
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