Falcons WR Cameron Batson facing five criminal charges

Falcons practice squad wideout Cameron Batson was involved in an altercation with police following a traffic stop over the weekend. He is now facing a total of five criminal charges stemming from the incident.

Batson was pulled over early Saturday morning in Atlanta for speeding, and the officer on scene attempted to take him into custody after determining he was intoxicated. Batson “resisted and violently fought with the officer,” as noted in the official police statement. The altercation between the two resulted in the officer firing his gun (without hitting anyone), and Batson fleeing the scene on foot. After his eventual arrest, both he and the officer were hospitalized.

As detailed by ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, Batson has since been officially booked and is now facing five criminal charges. Those charges are: assault, battery, aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty, removal of weapon from public official and driving-fleeing to elude a police officer. Rothstein notes that the 27-year-old could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

“We have been made aware of an overnight incident involving Cameron Batson and are currently gathering information from law enforcement agencies,” the Falcons said in a statement following his arrest on Saturday. “We take this matter seriously and have no further comment at this time.”

A former UDFA, Batson began his NFL career in 2018 with the Titans. He made a total of 27 appearances in Tennessee (including three starts) across three seasons, posting 22 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He also totaled 311 yards as a kick returner during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Texas Tech alum was among the Falcons’ final roster cuts at the start of the season, but he has remained on their practice squad throughout the year. Batson has yet to see any time on Atlanta’s active roster.