Atlanta Falcons Player Waived After Animal Cruelty Charges Filed

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Update: The Atlanta Falcons said in a statement Friday afternoon that they have waived Prince Shembo in light of charges in Gwinnett County that the linebacker caused the death of his ex-girlfriend’s dog.

The statement said:

“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.”

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Original Story: Police in Gwinnett County believe that a member of the Atlanta Falcons fatally injured his now ex-girlfriend’s dog when the two were left unattended inside his home last month.

According to WSB-TV, Prince Shembo’s girlfriend Denicia Williams said she came to Shembo’s house in Buford on April 19 with her Yorkie, Dior, in tow. Williams told police that the left the two alone for a while, and returned to find Dior critically injured. Dior later died at an animal hospital, WSB-TV said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Shembo allegedly admitted to Williams the day after Dior died that he had kicked the dog, at which point Williams broke up with him. Veterinarians performed a necropsy on Dior and determined her cause of death was blunt force trauma, the AJC reports.

Shembo has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals but has not been taken into custody, both sources say.