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NFL free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman was drunk and threatened to kill himself during an altercation with his family before being arrested early Wednesday in the Seattle suburbs in mid-July 2021.
Sherman’s wife, Ashley Moss, called 911 telling the dispatcher that her husband had drunk two bottles of hard alcohol, was drunk, aggressive, and belligerent. She said he was threatening to kill himself. This all included him wrestling with his wife’s uncle and sending text messages to people that he would hang himself.
During the call’s recording, his wife is heard trying to prevent the star cornerback from leaving the house — please stop. She pleads with the dispatcher to make sure that officers do not shoot him. An intoxicated Sherman could be heard saying that he would fight the police if they arrived.
Moss also said she thought her husband would be driving to her parent’s house in Redmond, Washington, about 30 miles away from their home.
The star cornerback was booked early Wednesday at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle to face several charges, including crashing his SUV in a construction zone, trying to break into his in-law’s home, and fighting with the police. He was eventually detained by a K-9 officer.
He was denied bail. However, a Redmond Police Department spokesman indicated that domestic violence suspects rarely are allowed bail before their first hearing. His appearance in court was not scheduled until Thursday afternoon, when a judge will decide if he will remain in custody or be allowed to post bail.
“He didn’t harm anybody,” the cornerback’s wife told Seattle Times on Wednesday. She also told reporters that the kids were not touched or injured during the incident. “He is a good person and this is not his character. We’re doing all right, just trying to get him out. I want people to know no one was harmed.”
Raymond Moss, Ashely’s father, told investigators that his son-in-law partially broke in the door at his home by ramming into it with his shoulder repeatedly, according to the police reports obtained by the Associated Press.
Sherman’s father-in-law told the police the family was scared. “I used pepper spray on Sherman’s face through the partially opened door as he was still banging and attempting to gain entry. I told him to stop. I armed myself with my handgun at this time fearing for the safety of myself and my family.”
Sherman faced a burglary charge, which was included because the felony or domestic violence happened in the relatives’ home. Since he did not enter the home or try to attack any family members, he will be charged with malicious mischief for what he did to the door.
“We’re very fortunate there were no injuries,” said Captain Ron Mead, referring to Sherman crashing his SUV into the construction zone. When officers found the vehicle, which had noticeable damage on the driver’s side, they ran the plates and determined it belonged to the cornerback. Washington State Police were notified of the accident.
During Sherman’s arrest, officers and state troops used different methods to subdue Sherman. However, after he fought with the cops, they eventually used a K-9 officer to detain him.
Sherman’s blood-alcohol level was tested after patching him up in the hospital from the minor wounds sustained during his arrest. Though the result is still pending, police stated they smelled the alcohol on his breath.
The NFL told reporters that it “investigates any incident involving law enforcement and if there is a violation of the personal conduct policy, the player would be facing discipline.”
The NFLPA also responds by saying, ” We were made aware of an arrest last night of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence crisis protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved. We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”
On August 3, the 49ers signed a different cornerback since it was obvious Sherman would not be returning in light of his recent legal issues. No further updates have been released about the case against Sherman.
Written by Daylontie Jasper
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
ESPN: Richard Sherman was ‘drunk’ and threatened to kill himself before arrest, according to 911 caller
The Spun by Sports Illustrated: San Francisco 49ers Reportedly Sign Veteran Corner; by Matt Audilet
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Travis AFBs Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of WEBN-TV’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License