Former Seahawks and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman is in police custody after a night of alleged drinking and threats to harm himself led to his arrest at his wife’s parents’ home in Redmond, Washington, early Wednesday, July 14. He faces several charges, including one on suspicion of burglary domestic violence.
According to a four-minute 911 call obtained by TMZ, a woman named Ashley Sherman, who identified herself to be the free agent defensive back’s wife, told dispatchers that Sherman had two bottles of alcohol, vodka and cognac, that night and was “drunk and belligerent and threatening to kill himself.” She requested that authorities be sent to her home.
“I need officer here now!” the media outlet reported the woman saying. “He’s trying to leave now. In the house, he was being aggressive. He was wrestling with my uncle. He’s threatening to kill himself. He has sent text messages to people saying he’s going to hang himself.”
Speaking frantically, the woman told the dispatcher, who appeared to be annoyed and frustrated, she was worried that the athlete was going to leave the home, stating, “It’s Richard Sherman! Like, ma’am, this is, like, a f-cking emergency! I need officers here now!”
The five-time Pro Bowl player was arrested shortly afterward, but not before trying to walk off and fighting with officers. During a news conference, Redmond Police Department Chief Darrell Lowe says the 33-year-old is now facing charges of suspicion of resisting arrest and malicious mischief. In addition, Washington State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead said at the news conference that his department is also ready to refer Sherman to prosecutors for possible misdemeanor DUI and hit-and-run charges related to a separate incident that occurred on Wednesday. Earlier that day, authorities received a call about an apparent impaired driver after the athlete allegedly drove his SUV into a closed construction zone.
When police arrived on the scene where Sherman’s in-laws live — he and his family live in Maple Valley, another Seattle suburb — they saw the athlete trying to force his way into his in-law’s home. In the attempt to arrest him, Sherman sustained minor lacerations to his lower leg and ankle due to contact from a police dog; he was treated at a nearby hospital. According to ESPN, he was later booked at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle at 6:08 a.m. PT and was denied bail. A spokesman for the RPD said bail denial is a standard procedure for domestic violence suspects until they appear before a judge.
Sherman is a vice president of the NFL Players Association. In a statement, the NFLPA said, “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.”
In a statement to The Seattle Times, Sherman’s wife, with whom he has two children, declined to make a statement and just noted that “he didn’t harm anybody.” She added, “My kids were not harmed in the incident. He’s 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 injured.”
Sherman is expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon, during which a judge will determine if there was probable cause to arrest Sherman. In addition, the judge could set bond or order that Sherman be released.
