Former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman was booked this morning at the Seattle Correctional Facility on a charge of "burglary domestic violence," per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The five-time Pro Bowl and three-time first-team All-Pro defender was denied bail, per the report.
Free-agent CB Richard Sherman was booked at 6:08 this am at the Seattle Correctional Facility for "Burglary Domestic Violence", per King County public records. Sherman also was denied bail.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 14, 2021
Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest reports that the incident is being investigated as a felony.
News: King County public records show that Richard Sherman has been booked for "Burglary Domestic Violence."
The "INV" means it's being investigated as a felony. pic.twitter.com/kz5qZp051S
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) July 14, 2021
ESPN later clarified: "Records state he was denied bail, but a spokesman for the Redmond (Washington) Police Department told ESPN that is standard procedure for suspects of domestic violence until they can appear before a judge."
ESPN offered more on the events leading to Sherman's arrest.
"The spokesman, who would not confirm the name of the person taken into custody, said a 911 call from the residence was received at 2 a.m. PT," 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.
"When police arrived, the suspect was located outside the home. He fought with police but was eventually apprehended and taken to a local hospital to be checked but was cleared and then booked into the King County Correctional Facility."
Sherman was only apprehended after a K9 dog was deployed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There were no significant injuries resulting from the incident. However, Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe later stated that Sherman "physically resisted" police and sustained a minor laceration to his lower leg and ankle during the altercation as a result of the deployment of the K9 dog, leading to his visit to the local hospital. There were officers who suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident too.
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Update: Sherman is also being investigated in connection to an earlier hit-and-run, per Schefter.
The residence that Sherman attempted to enter was described by Lowe as the home belonging to his "in-laws." He did not gain entry. Lowe clarified that "domestic violence" specification to the burglary charge is because of Sherman's relationship to the occupants of the home and "not because of violence against any family member/significant other."
"He didn't harm anybody," Sherman's wife, Ashley, told the Seattle Times. "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 a free agent after spending the last three seasons with the 49ers. Before that, he played seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. The cornerback expected to be in higher demand in free agency but remains unsigned.
The NFL Players Association released the following statement following the arrest:
"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."
Sherman serves as one of the NFLPA's vice presidents on the executive committee.
There was some speculation that San Francisco might be interested in re-signing Sherman should any injuries occur in training camp. The two sides seemed to part ways on good terms. The cornerback was open to a potential return.
"There's always a chance it could end up working back in the Bay, and I head back that way," Sherman said in May. "That's another place I'm really comfortable going. Obviously, I know the staff, know the team well. Just spent time there and would be ecstatic if something happened there."
There was a report from the Sacramento Bee that Sherman and the 49ers engaged in "preliminary discussions" about a reunion but nothing came of it.
Sherman appeared in just five games last season, recording 18 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, and a pass defensed. He played in at least 14 games in each of his previous two seasons, earning his most recent Pro Bowl selection in 2019.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
