Following the arrest of former San Francisco 49er and Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman in Seattle early on Wednesday morning, the NFL Players Association said it has activated its “domestic violence crisis protocol.”
“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,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”
Sherman, 33, is vice president of the NFL Players Association’s executive committee.
According to public records, Sherman is being held without bail at the King County Correctional Facility and is being investigated for burglary domestic violence. Bail being denied for suspects of domestic violence until they can appear before a judge is standard procedure.
A police spokesperson, who would not confirm the name of the person taken into custody, said the arrest took place after a 911 call was placed from a residence at 2 a.m. PST, ESPN reported.
“The person calling said that an adult male family member who did not live at the residence was attempting to force his way into the home,” per ESPN. “When police arrived, the suspect was outside the home. He fought with police but was eventually apprehended and taken to a local hospital to be checked. After he was cleared medically, he was booked into the King County Correctional Facility.”
Per the spokesperson, no one at the residence was injured during the early-morning incident. The spokesperson also told ESPN that Sherman is being investigated by the state police in connection to a hit-and-run and damage to state Department of Transportation property.
Currently a free agent, Sherman finished his third season with the 49ers in 2020 after spending the first seven seasons of his career in Seattle. The arrest does not preclude Sherman from signing with a team, but he could be placed on the league’s commissioner’s exempt list for the regular season depending on the details that emerge.
The NFL “investigates any incident involving law enforcement, and if there is a violation of the personal conduct policy, the player would be facing discipline,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic.
In 10 NFL seasons, Sherman has been selected to five Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro three times. Since being drafted out of Stanford by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Sherman has the most interceptions and defended passes of any active player. Prior to this incident, a team likely would’ve taken a flier and signed Sherman. That may not happen now.
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