Getty Dalvin Cook, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook‘s half-brother has been charged with murder in Miami.
Damarcus Cook, 18, was arrested on August 3 and charged with robbing and killing a man, authorities said, per the Miami Herald.
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Cook’s Half-Brother Charged With 1st-Degree Murder
Damarcus is accused of trading gunfire with a man inside a car outside a home in the Little Havana neighborhood outside downtown Miami at around 8 p.m. on August 2. According to a police report, neighbors called Miami police, and upon their arrival, authorities found the man inside a vehicle had been shot. Police found Cook, who was also suffering from a gunshot wound, nearby, the Miami Herald reported.
The murder victim who police have not named was taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors could not revive him, per the Miami Herald.
The Miami Herald reached out to Tateanna Price, who is Darmacus’ mother, not Dalvin’s, confirmed her son had been injured and arrested and said her daughter was also hurt during the incident. Damarcus was brought in for police questioning with minor injuries, according to the Miami Herald.
Damarcus has been charged with first-degree murder and robbery.
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Damarcus Survived a Drive-By Shooting as a Teen
This past week’s incident isn’t Damarcus’ first encounter with gun violence.
When he was 14 years old, Damarcus was one of two teenagers who were shot in a drive-by shooting in Little Haiti. Damarcus was shot in the chest, but survived, along with his 16-year-old friend.
Price spoke out about the gun violence that has plagued the community.
“This violence needs to stop. Our kids need to get an education and stop this,” she told CBS4 after the 2019 shooting. “We need to do something about this crime… I want to say that people should come forward. And as a community we need to come together.”
Four years ago, Dalvin’s uncle, Anthony Jones, was also shot and injured in a drive-by shooting, the Miami Herald said.
No Updates on Dalvin Cook’s Civil LawSuit
Last November, a civil suit against Dalvin surfaced with his ex-girlfriend, Gracelyn Trimble, accusing Cook of “giving me a concussion, leaving a scar on my face and taking me through hell” in an altercation on November 19, 2020, according to Dakota County court documents obtained by the Star Tribune. Trimble is seeking monetary damages and, she says, accountability, per the Star Tribune.
Dalvin’s camp has pushed back, saying Dalvin is the victim in their dispute. Dalvin’s attorney, David Valentini, responded to the lawsuit, arguing that Trimble broke into Cook’s house, assaulted him and two houseguests and is now trying to “extort him for millions of dollars.”
Dalvin had a pair of court dates on March 24 and then April 11, according to Drew Davenport — but there has since been no update on the case.
While in college, Dalvin was charged with misdemeanor battery in 2015 but was acquitted. Since entering the NFL, Dalvin has been a model NFL player in the public eye.
He has been a team captain the past two seasons and was made one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at his position by agreeing to a five-year, $63 million contract in 2020. His $12.6 million average annual value is topped by only three other runners: Christian McCaffrey ($16 million), Ezekiel Elliott ($15 million) and Alvin Kamara ($15 million), per Spotrac.
“I’ve been through a lot of tough things in my life and I have my head up, high knowing the truth will come out,” Cook said in a November 10 press conference. “I hate being a distraction to the team, but I know those guys have my back 1000%, and we’re just going to take this thing day-by-day. I know my team is here for me, and I’m here for them.”