Shilo Sanders bankruptcy case: Plaintiff says Deion Sanders trying to make it go away

John Darjean wants compensated for violent assault allegedly done by Coach Prime's son in 2015

Deion Sanders Jr/Well Off Media

Shilo Sanders is preparing for a battle this offseason. The Colorado Buffaloes safety filed for bankruptcy last October in an effort to absolve a $11.8 million judgement against him, which stems from a 2015 alleged assault against John Darjean. The former security guard, who claims he suffered permanent injuries at the hands of Sanders, is speaking out about the case.

“I’m not gonna stop until the truth gets out and until I win my $12 million,” Darjean told USA Today

The incident from Sept. 2015 started with Darjean trying to confiscate Sanders' phone when he was a 15-year-old student at a Dallas area school. Darjean said Sanders elbowed his neck, causing a broken spine and nerve damage. At that point, Deion Sanders was prompted to take Shilo to juvenile detention before he was transferred to a crisis intervention center, where he stayed for 30 days.

"Deion Sanders took Shilo to the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center due to Shilo’s violent, erratic, and dangerous conduct assaulting and battering Darjean and another student within 24 hours of each other, according to court records.

On September 18, 2015, Deion Sanders transported Shilo to and admitted him into the Letot Center crisis intervention program where he stayed for 30 days. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigated Shilo’s actions while Shilo was incarcerated and determined, based upon Deion’s testimony and video evidence from the school, that Shilo instigated the attack on Darjean and was to blame"

Deion Sanders didn’t witness the incident, but 12 days afterward he agreed to an interview about it with an investigator with the Texas state child protective services agency (CPS), according to court records and reported by USA Today. "The investigator, Jordan Ham, wanted to find out what he knew about what happened. Deion Sanders was accompanied by an attorney to the interview and told the investigator that Darjean handled the situation appropriately after Shilo had been “disruptive” at school, according to Ham’s report."

Darjean immediately filed a police report in the matter before suing the Sanders family in a Texas civil court. He was awarded the multi-million dollar judgement after Shilo Sanders was a no-show for court in 2022. Sanders wants the bankruptcy court to give him a “fresh start," according to his attorneys. However, Darjean and his attorneys disagrees and is ready to expose Sanders' for his flashy habits and lack of asset disclosure.

This case is heating up for trial with both sides needing to prove to the judge their side. Darjean's attorneys have said this was a “willful and malicious” injury, while Sanders "Cannot wait" to tell his side of the story, according to his attorneys. However, this will be a major hurdle for Coach Prime's son to go over with the case already decided in Texas.

“They don’t want the truth to come out, and they’re trying to spin it that I was already injured and he didn’t really do this," Darjean said. "It’s a lie. Not one person came and testified on Deion Sanders’ and Shilo Sanders’ behalf. Not one person. And so now they’re trying to get it thrown out in bankruptcy, and I don’t believe that’s gonna happen.”

Sanders' attorneys are working to seal records in the case. It's unclear if that request will be granted by the judge at this stage before trial. Sanders' defense will be critical to try and discharge his debt in the ongoing matter. Outside of the bankruptcy, Sanders continues to recover from surgery to his left shoulder. He's expected to be out a significant amount of time going into the 2024 football season.