Overview
- Merritt, arrested by Overland Park police around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday, was booked into the Johnson County jail later that night.
- Prosecutors filed a complaint Thursday morning alleging he unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly caused bodily harm to his daughter, identified in records as Drayah Merritt.
- At a Thursday court appearance, he pleaded not guilty and was released on a $2,500 bond with a no-contact order and bans on alcohol, drugs and firearms, with a virtual hearing set for June 24.
- The Chiefs said they are aware of the case, and after Thursday's first-round picks head coach Andy Reid said the team has been in contact and that Merritt was home with his family.
- Under Kansas law the charge is treated as a domestic violence offense, and the case has drawn high attention because Merritt is a long‑tenured assistant who has coached the Chiefs' secondary since 2019.