Bengals' Joe Mixon faces civil suit related to shooting of neighbor - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is facing a civil lawsuit regarding the shooting of his teenage neighbor. According to court records filed in Hamilton County earlier this week, the teenage boy's family is seeking damages from Mixon and Lamonte Brewer after the boy was shot in the right foot by Brewer while standing in Mixon's backyard.

Mixon was not charged and never considered a suspect, Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers said in March when Brewer was charged. However, in the lawsuit filed on Thursday, the family claims that Mixon supplied the bullets and Zavasta M92 gun that was matched to the weapon used in the shooting.

The plaintiffs suing Mixon allege that the running back has «had many opportunities to settle» the claims but «has taken no responsibility for any of the harm that he has caused,» leading to the lawsuit.

Mixon is being represented by his homeowners insurance attorneys in the civil case. Peter Schaffer, Mixon's agent, declined to provide a comment to ESPN.

In the 911 call at the time of the incident, Mixon's trainer Sean Pena told a police dispatcher that the boy was screaming and appeared to be wielding a Kel-Tec gun. The boy was actually holding a toy gun while playing a game of «Nerf Wars,» a game played by high school students around Cincinnati. Police believe one of the bullets Brewer fired went through the gun.

The lawsuit echoed a claim made by the county prosecutor in that someone should have realized the gun the child carried was a toy. «The defense that the Mixon home occupants felt in fear of their lives from 16-year-old high school students playing Nerf Wars with green, blue, and grey colored toy nerf rifles in the neighbor's yard is utterly ridiculous,