Animal Cruelty Charges Dropped Against Tide & NFL’s Isaiah Buggs

A judge in Tuscaloosa County has dismissed two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges filed last year against Isaiah Buggs, the former Crimson Tide defensive tackle who will now try to find his path back into professional football.

As the Thread has previously reported, Buggs had a series of escalating run-ins with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, mostly related to his now-closed Kings Hookah Lounge on Greensboro Avenue. One encounter involved him allegedly "shoving" TPD Chief Brent Blankley after last year's A-Day game.

What ultimately landed him in the Tuscaloosa County Jail was a pair of animal cruelty charges. Police said they found two severely neglected dogs at a house Buggs rented in the city of Tuscaloosa, one of which was euthanized, and a TPD investigator obtained warrants to charge Buggs with misdemeanor second-degree animal cruelty.

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District Court Judge Joanne Jannik found Buggs guilty "by stipulation," and the football player appealed that decision, moving the cases to District Judge Daniel Pruet's court, where they remained until they were dismissed this week.

On Wednesday, Bugg's defense attorney Greg Gambril announced that both charges have been dismissed after they provided evidence that exonerated Buggs and showed care of the dogs was another man's responsibility.

In court documents obtained by the Thread, prosecutors describe a recorded phone call during which another man admitted he had been charged with looking out for the house in Tuscaloosa and taking care of the dogs there but failed to, then tried to stay under the radar when he realized there could be jail time for it.

In a Wednesday press release, Gambril said Buggs also reached a plea agreement which saw local domestic violence and burglary charges against him reduced to misdemeanor criminal trespassing.

"The resolution of these matters brings closure to all criminal proceedings involving Mr. Buggs in Tuscaloosa," Gambril wrote.

For his part, Buggs said he is "focused on moving forward and continuing my football career."

He first played at Mississippi Coast Community College, where he was the No. 1 player in junior college in the 2017 recruiting class and committed to Alabama. For the Tide, Buggs started 28 games over two seasons. During 2017, he totaled 51 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks en route to helping Alabama win the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship over the Georgia Bulldogs. During his senior year, Buggs totaled 51 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three passes batted down, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery en route to a national championship appearance against the Clemson Tigers. He was named All-SEC by the Associated Press and the SEC coaches.

Buggs was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Buggs spent three seasons in Pittsburgh, totaling 31 tackles and two tackles for loss.

In 2022, Buggs signed with the Detroit Lions, starting 13 games for Detroit. He totaled 46 tackles and 10 quarterback hits.

Buggs spent the start of 2023 with Detroit before being cut by the Lions, then he was picked up and spent the rest of the season on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, but KC released him amid the coverage of his legal troubles here.

For more news from West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.