Associated Press
RENO, Nev. ó Law enforcement officials in Nevada have no intention of opening a criminal investigation into allegations Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger raped a woman at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino a year ago, the sheriff’s department said Wednesday.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Teresa Duffy said the accuser would have to file a criminal complaint to trigger an investigation into the incident the woman says occurred during a celebrity golf tournament last July while she was working as an executive VIP casino host at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.
“The victim is the only one who can do that,” Duffy told The Associated Press. “Unless there was a third party that actually witnessed the incident, which according to the civil case, was not the case here.”
STEELERS
PITTSBURGH ó Chairman Dan Rooney’s four brothers signed papers this week transferring majority ownership of the club to Rooney and son Art Rooney II, the team president.
PANTHERS
CHARLOTTE ó The Carolina Panthers signed fifth-round pick Duke Robinson.
The guard from Oklahoma inked a four-year deal that includes a signing bonus of about $172,000. He’s expected to provide needed depth on the offensive line after Carolina released Jeremy Bridges and lost Geoff Hangartner and Frank Omiyale in free agency.
Robinson is the fourth draft pick to come to terms. The Panthers must still sign second-rounders Everette Brown and Sherrod Martin and third-round choice Corvey Irvin.
Carolina opens training camp Aug. 2.
COWBOYS
DALLAS ó Paralyzed scouting assistant Rich Behm is determined to walk again.
In his first public comments since the May collapse of the team’s indoor practice facility, Behm says he is still learning to deal with life in a wheelchair. He lost the use of his legs in the accident that injured two other Cowboys staff members.
Behm spoke Sunday at a charity fundraiser for him, his wife and their three young children.
The 33-year-old says he is considering a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the facility. Behm returned to work weeks after the accident and said his focus is on getting back up to speed in his job.
RAVENS
OWINGS MILLS, Md. ó Baltimore coach John Harbaugh is “optimistic and hopeful” that wide receiver Derrick Mason will come out of retirement and rejoin the team during training camp.
After speaking with Mason on the phone Tuesday, Harbaugh maintained hope that Mason would have a change of heart soon after the start of training camp next week.
PACKERS
GREEN BAY, Wis. ó Fullback and fifth-round pick Quinn Johnson signed, leaving only two first-round draft picks to sign before camp.
SUSPENSIONS
MINNEAPOLIS ó Minnesota Vikings linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will have to wait a bit longer to find out if they will be going to trial before the season begins.
A state judge said he will rule by Aug. 7 whether to put their lawsuit against the NFL on hold, as the league has requested. The two are fighting their pending suspensions for violating the policy against performance-enhancing drugs.
VICK
RICHMOND, Va. ó Michael Vick met with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.
George Atallah, assistant executive director for external affairs of the player’s union, says Vick and Smith met one-on-one on Tuesday. Atallah gave no additional details.
HARRISON
PHILADELPHIA ó A Philadelphia man who says he was shot by Marvin Harrison last year remains in critical condition after being shot again.
Dwight Dixon was found shot multiple times in the city’s Fairmount section late Tuesday morning.