Charlotte FC’s Andre Shinyashiki addresses report linking him to sex assault case
.JPG "Charlotte FC midfielder Benjamin Bender (15) celebrates a goal with Charlotte FC forward Andre Shinyashiki (16) during a game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, May 22, 2022.")
Charlotte FC forward Andre Shinyashiki acknowledged on Tuesday a report that linked him to a sexual assault case, stating in a tweet that he “fully cooperated with Charlotte Police and MLS in their separate investigations related to the incident.”
The tweet continued: “No charges have been filed against me. I’ve also been cleared by MLS to play. I’ll have no further comment.”
Shinyashiki’s statement came a few hours after The Charlotte Ledger reported that Shinyashiki was “linked” to a sexual assault reported to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police on March 8.
Carroll Walton reported for The Ledger that after asking CMPD for any incident reports involving Shinyashiki, a department official provided a two-page incident report. That crime incident report references an alleged sexual assault — and open investigation — stemming from a Feb. 26 incident, according to the public record obtained by The Ledger. The police report states a 23-year-old white female said she was sexually assaulted.
Shinyashiki’s name does not appear in the report. He has not been charged with a crime.
Shinyashiki’s agent, Mike Sendowski, told The Ledger that Charlotte Police and MLS have “investigated the incident” and that “no charges have been filed, and Andre is permitted to resume playing in MLS.” An attempt by The Charlotte Observer to reach Shinyashiki’s agent for additional comment wasn’t immediately successful.
A Major League Soccer spokesperson said that the league doesn’t typically report on investigations unless there is a determination that disciplinary action is warranted. A team spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer that the team is “aware of the report regarding Andre Shinyashiki,” adding that the club will have “no further comment at this time.”
Shinyashiki, once a starter and considered an important part of the future of Charlotte’s burgeoning MLS franchise, hasn’t played since April 8 against Real Salt Lake.
It looked for a moment last week like Shinyashiki was heading to Real Salt Lake in a trade for winger Justin Meram. The Athletic reported as much last Monday. But then, three days later, Charlotte FC announced that it still was acquiring Meram, but nowhere in said announcement did the club say Shinyashiki was involved in the exchange. The club instead said it acquired Meram for $200,000 in General Allocation Money (as well as up to an additional $150,000 in 2024 GAM if certain performance-based incentives are met).
When asked for an explanation earlier this month on the status of a few players — specifically Shinyashiki and Nuno Santos, a midfielder who was recently sent to MLS NEXT Pro side Crown Legacy FC — Charlotte FC head coach Christian Lattanzio did not provide much of an explanation.
“This is a situation we have,” Lattanzio said in regards to both players in an April 21 press conference. “I also hope to have a bit more clarity about certain things. But for now, it’s some private things that we are internally discussing, and I don’t want to talk too much about that.”
Shinyashiki, the 2019 MLS Rookie of the Year, was traded to Charlotte in May 2022 from Colorado. He was quickly embraced by the team and the team’s fans because of his goal-scoring ability — he scored six goals in 21 games in 2022 — and his unique bravado on the pitch. The team found him valuable enough to re-sign him to a multi-year deal in August.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 8:29 PM.
