Prosecutor drops criminal charges against country star Chris Young

In news that will surely come as a relief to country singer Chris Young and his legions of fans, prosecutors in Tennessee have decided to drop criminal charges stemming from an encounter and subsequent arrest at a bar last weekend, as ABC News reports.

Though Young was initially suspected of assaulting agents from the Alcoholic Beverage Commission and committing multiple other offenses, video footage from the incident has since prompted a dismissal of the charges.

In the Dawg House

According to a report in the Tennessean soon after the arrest, Young, 38, was arrested at the Dawg House bar in Nashville.

Records indicated that Young had been at the Tin Roof earlier in the evening, and that was when the Commission's enforcement agents entered the establishment for a routine compliance check.

An arrest affidavit in the matter included a statement from the agents saying, “When we walked into the bar, a man sitting at the bar, later found to be Mr. Young, had his ID in his hand above his head.”

Young's ID was reportedly verified as accurate, but he then began asking questions and recording the agents, at which point, they left to continue their work at the Dawg House bar next door.

Young reportedly followed them to their next stop, and it was there that he allegedly struck an agent on the shoulder and caused a disturbance to ensue, ending in the singer's arrest.

Charges dismissed

However, on Friday, Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk announced that after “a review of all the evidence,” the charges against Young -- which included counts of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault on an officer -- were being dropped.

An attorney for Young, Bill Ramsey, had maintained his client's innocence from the start, having demanded an apology from the agents for “the physical, emotional and professional harm” done to the musician.

Following Funk's statement, Ramsey said that he and Young are “gratified with the DA's decision clearing him of the charges and any wrongdoing.”

Prolific career

Country music fans will be very familiar with Young's long history of success in the industry and are likely looking forward to the March release of his 18-track album Young Love & Saturday Nights.

Young's nearly two-decade tenure in country music reached new highs in recent years, with the artist garnering seven Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022, topping all other competitors and cementing his status among the most renowned personalities in the business.