The long-running saga of Alvin Kamara's Las Vegas incident prior to the 2021 Pro Bowl appears to be at an end, at least in criminal court.
The star Saints running back pleaded no contest to lesser charges in the incident that involved the beating of Darnell Greene outside of an elevator early in the morning of a Vegas nightclub, according to a report from 8NewsNow.
The charges include misdemeanor breach of peace, with the felony charges dropped. He will be responsible for completing 30 hours of community service, as well as $100,000 for Greene's medical bills. It remains unclear what spurred a plea deal in the long-running case. He will have 90 days to complete all plea conditions, according to the report.
A no-contest plea effectively means Kamara will accept the charges, but it does not constitute an admission of guilt. There are also still civil cases looming, one of which was filed in New Orleans and was seeking $10 million in damages.
Kamara had previously appeared in court in March and entered a not-guilty plea on multiple charges, with the case previously set to begin on July 31. It remains unclear whether Kamara's co-defendants, including Bengals cornerback Chris Lammons, Darrin Young and Percy Harris, will receive similar deals. All three also entered not-guilty pleas in March.
Kamara's attorney had indicated they would be arguing self-defense in the incident that occurred about 4 a.m. outside an elevator at Drai's Nightclub. Video shows the end of an altercation between Kamara and his group and Darnell Greene, who was pushed up against a wall, then struck and kicked while he was on the ground. Video shows Kamara was one of the first to engage with Greene, throwing punches after he went to the floor before stepping back, grabbing his cell phone and walking away. The group Kamara was with can be seen continuing to strike Greene with hands and feet as he lay on the ground.
Kamara participated in the Pro Bowl the following day before being taken into custody by police. An indictment in the case came down in February.
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The result likely opens the door for the NFL to shell out discipline relative to the incident, as the league typically opts to wait out criminal court proceedings before levying judgement. Even with the felony charges dropped, Kamara could still face discipline if he is deemed to have violated the NFL's personal conduct policy. A suspension of multiple games would be considered likely. The Saints appeared to be bracing for such an absence with the signing of veteran running back Jamaal Williams and the taking TCU standout Kendre Miller in the third round of the draft this offseason.
Kamara has not spoken publicly as the case wound its way through the court system, which was delayed multiple times and ultimately did not affect his availability in the 2022 season.
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