Police Report: Richie Incognito Wanted Father's Head Cut Off for Research, Punched Caskets
The Scottsdale Police Department confirmed that free-agent offensive lineman Richie Incognito was arrested Monday on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and threats.
The four-time Pro Bowler was arrested for an incident that took place at Messingers Pinnacle Peak Mortuary in Arizona. Incognito allegedly caused a disturbance and made "the employees feel incredibly uncomfortable" while handling the funeral arrangements for his father, who died on Saturday.
According to the arrest report obtained by Stevie Johnson of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, employees said Incognito asked to have his father's head cut off for research purposes, and walked around the funeral home punching caskets and throwing objects around.
Incognito was supposed to sign cremation papers, but he was not cooperating and then went on to punch caskets and throw objects, according to witnesses. Incognito made "himself comfortable" in an office and then offered his credit card to buy flowers for the funeral. After signing the cremation papers, Incognito then quickly changed his mind and said he wanted his father buried and asked to see casket options.
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He was shown a military casket and indicated that he wanted it, but then picked up an urn and slammed it on the top of the casket. He allegedly threw pamphlets and patches from out of the casket and proceeded to cry and ask for his father.
While alone with one of the employees, Incognito allegedly made a gun gesture at the employee and then said he had guns in his truck if the man wanted to see. After getting a warrant, police recovered a tan Glock 17 9mm handgun, a black Glock 35 .40-caliber handgun, three rifles and four magazines from Incognito's Ford Raptor.
In May, Incognito was taken into custody by police in Boca Raton, Fla., to undergo psychiatric examination after causing a disturbance at a Lifetime Fitness. The officer who took Incognito into custody for that incident said he "was suffering an altered, paranoid state" and that Incognito "believed ordinary citizens were government officials that were tracking him and recording him."
Incognito spent the last three seasons with the Bills, for whom he started every game and earned a Pro Bowl invite each of those years. He was initially supposed to be under contract for Buffalo this upcoming season, but decided to announce his retirement from the NFL on Twitter in April after he had already restructured his contract just before firing his agent on Twitter.
In May, Incognito reached back out to the Bills to express his interest in continuing his career and he was released from the Reserved/Retired List just two days prior to the incident in Florida that led to him being taken into custody.
Incognito, 35, has played 11 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Rams in the third round in 2005, and between 2005 and 2009, he spent the bulk of his time on their roster, but he had a brief stint in Buffalo during the 2009 season. He went on to spend four years with the Dolphins from there, and in 2012, he earned his first Pro Bowl invite.
In 2013, Incognito was suspended half the season in relation to a bullying incident involving then-teammate Jonathan Martin. He then sat out the entire 2014 season before coming back to the Bills in 2015.