LITTLE ROCK — Former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will not likely face charges for sexual assault after a woman accused the fighter of raping her Friday night, Maumelle police said.
In a release sent late Wednesday morning, the department said "it does not anticipate any additional criminal charges."
The decision comes after Taylor and his attorney, Kenny Shemin, met with Maumelle police for an hour Wednesday morning where he provided his statement about the events that took place at the America's Best Value Inn.
"Mr. Taylor was very cooperative and we did interview him at the police department," said Lt. Jim Hansard, a spokesman for Maumelle police.
In addition, the 27-year-old Mississippi woman also reversed course on her allegation during follow-up interviews with police earlier this week, Hansard said.
"That's a factor going into our rationale," Hansard said. "During the investigation we interviewed her, and that's when that occurred."
The report of sexual assault stemmed from a meeting Friday between Taylor and the woman, who told police the fighter planned to pay her $2,000 for "sexual relations," according to a police incident report.
In the report the woman said the two smoked marijuana before becoming embroiled in an argument. She said she then fled the room and fell down a flight of stairs and broke her left ankle.
Police were called from the lobby of the hotel, located at 14325 Frontier Drive, and responded to find the woman "intoxicated due to smoking marijuana," the report said.
During a search of the room, police found 16 Lortab pills, a pain killer containing hydrocodone, and charged the woman with possession of a controlled substance. She pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Maumelle District Court.
After being taken to Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock for treatment, the woman told hospital officials Taylor had raped her.
Hansard said he could not disclose what the led the woman to step back from the report that Taylor sexually assaulted her.
"I can't really disclose that right now," Hansard said. "This is still an on-going investigation and I can't really address an in-depth question like that."
But there is still the possibility that Taylor, who has won his past two fights in a comeback bid after a 26-month layoff, could face other charges, such as a soliciting a prostitute. Hansard said that determination will be made as the case progresses.
"That's why we said we don't anticipate any further charges," Hansard said.
"We've got an open investigation. We've got forensic work still to be done."
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
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