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Richard Sherman Arrested on Suspicion of Burglary Domestic Violence

The former Seahawks and 49ers corner was denied bail on Wednesday morning after being arrested on suspicion of burglary domestic violence.

Michael Shapiro

Richard Sherman Arrested on Suspicion of Burglary Domestic Violence
Richard Sherman Arrested on Suspicion of Burglary Domestic Violence /
Richard Sherman with the San Francisco 49ers
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman has been arrested for "burglary domestic violence," per King County court records.

Sherman was denied bail, but a spokesperson for the Redmond (Wash.) Police Department told ESPN this is standard procedure for those suspected of domestic violence until they appear before a judge. The hearing in front of a judge will reportedly not happen until Thursday afternoon. 

The alleged crime is being investigated as a felony, per NBC Sports's Joe Fann.

Per ESPN, a spokesperson from Redmond PD said a 911 call was placed from a residence at 2 a.m. PT, and the individual said an adult male family member who did not live there was trying to get into the home. 

When authorities arrived, police discovered it was Sherman. He reportedly fought with the police but was eventually apprehended with the assistance from the K-9 unit. He was checked at a local hospital, and once he was medically cleared, Sherman was booked into the King County Correctional Facility. 

His wife, Ashley Moss, told The Seattle Times, "He didn’t harm anybody. 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."

Redmond PD held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, and Redmond police chief Darrell Lowe said Sherman tried to force his way into in-laws house. He added that there was no evidence his wife was present. 

What had started as an "amicable" conversation between Sherman and the police turned confrontational. Redmond PD said when they told him they wanted to take him into custody, the conversation became contentious, and Sherman tried to leave. 

Sherman did suffer a minor laceration in leg area due to K-9 contact during his apprehension. 

The domestic violence specification to the burglary charge was because of his relationship with the residences, “not because of violence against any family member/significant other." 

Sherman is also being investigated "in connection to a hit and run, and damage to state Department of Transportation property," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier on Wednesday. The alleged incident occurred when a car struck a concrete barrier.

During Wednesday's press conference, Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead revealed details about the hit and run, saying that troopers pursued Sherman when they saw "pretty significant side-impact collision of the vehicle" after it hit a barrier.

Sherman reportedly drove into an active construction zone, and his vehicle hit "some sort of a barrier." The workers called 911.

Washington State Patrol got permission from a judge to obtain a blood draw from Sherman when he was in the hospital because of signs of impairment, per Captain Ron Mead. WSPD confirmed those results are still pending. 

NFLPA released a statement on the matter Wednesday. 

"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."

The former Seahawks and 49ers cornerback played only five games for San Francisco in 2020 due to a calf strain. He is unsigned ahead of the '21 season.

This story will be updated with additional information.

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

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