New Details Emerge on Former Seahawks Star Richard Sherman’s Arrest

Richard Sherman contract

Getty Richard Sherman during his time with the Seattle Seahawks.

Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was booked on domestic violence residential burglary and denied bail at the King County Correctional Facility on July 14, 2021, according to Redmond, Washington, police and court records obtained by Heavy.

Sherman, 33, is being investigated on suspicion of driving under the influence and a hit-and-run accident after police say he “drove into a construction site on Highway 520, struck a concrete barrier, and left the scene in his badly damaged vehicle,” The Seattle Times reported.

“News: King County public records show that Richard Sherman has been booked for ‘Burglary Domestic Violence,'” NBC Sports Northwest’s Joe Fann tweeted. “The ‘INV’ means it’s being investigated as a felony.”

The NFL Players Association released a statement about the alleged incident but did not mention Sherman by name.

“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 protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved,” the NFLPA statement said. “We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”

ESPN’s Brady Henderson provided more context on the legal implications of being denied bail.

“A brief legal sidenote: King County records indicate ‘bail denied,’” Henderson detailed on Twitter. “I spoke with a defense attorney (unconnected to this case) who explained that bail is always denied until a suspect appears before a judge. Sherman was booked at 6:08 a.m.”


Sherman Tried to Break Into His In-Laws’ House, According to Police

More details have emerged on the Redmond police investigation into Sherman following a sequence of events in the early morning hours of July 14.

According to The Seattle Times, which obtained a recording of the call, Sherman’s wife called 911 on the night of Tuesday, July 13, and said “Sherman had been drinking and had threatened to kill himself.” She called back to say he may be on his way to her parents’ home, the outlet reported.

The Associated Press reported that a construction crew called 911 around 1:30 a.m. July 14 to report that a vehicle with “an apparently intoxicated driver had entered the construction zone.”

In a July 14 media conference, Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe said his department received a 911 call at 1:49 a.m. “indicating a family member who did not reside at the residence was trying to break in.” He said the suspect was identified as Sherman and the home belonged to Sherman’s parents-in-law.

Police tried to develop a rapport with Sherman, the Associated Press reported, talking and joking with him “for at least 10 minutes,” according to The Seattle Times. But when they informed Sherman he was under arrest, according to the Associated Press, “he began walking away rapidly and fought as police tried to take him into custody.” A police K-9 “was deployed to assist in gaining control” of Sherman, Lowe said in the media conference, and both Sherman and an officer sustained minor injuries in the altercation.

Lowe said Sherman was treated at a local hospital before being booked into jail and accused of “residential burglary with a domestic violence component, resisting arrest and malicious mischief.” He clarified that “the domestic violence component” is the result of Sherman’s relationship with the occupants of the home he is accused of trying to break into, “not due to him physically assaulting his significant other,” and that the malicious mischief charge resulted from damage to the home’s door.

Lowe said Sherman did not enter the home and did not assault any of the occupants, though a verbal altercation took place.


Sherman Is Open to a Return to the Seahawks, According to a Report

Sherman remains on the free-agent market and has been linked to a possible return to the Seahawks throughout the offseason. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sherman was open to a return to Seattle. The recent legal news could put a damper on Sherman signing with the Seahawks or any other NFL team.

“I’m told that this is not off the table, that Sherman is still open to returning to the Legion of Boom, or what remains of it,” Fowler noted on SportsCenter. “He makes a home on the West Coast, still has a home in Seattle, most people think he’d like to still play on the West Coast and Seattle needs cornerback help. Nothing’s working right now, but maybe closer to training camp something could shake out. Seattle needs to figure out the [Jamal] Adams money allocation before they take resources elsewhere, because a guy like Sherman, he’s not going to take the minimum. This is a high-caliber player that would need a decent contract.”


Sherman & His Wife Ashley Moss Got Married in 2018

Sherman and his wife Ashley Moss were married on March 28, 2018, in the Dominican Republic in front of several of his former Seahawks teammates, per USA Today. Moss even assisted Sherman when he was negotiating his contract with the 49ers, which ultimately helped him land a $1 million bonus.

“[The 49ers] wanted some security and we wanted some security,” Sherman detailed the negotiation to NBC Sports in December 2019. “And they were like ‘If you’re the player that we know you are then it’ll work out. The incentives will come into play and you’ll make the money you deserve to make.’ But I said ‘If I do that I still won’t have any security for the next year.’ And my wife was like ‘Well, why don’t you just make the Pro Bowl and the things that trigger him to get those incentives, guaranteeing his next year’s deal? Because if he’s making the Pro Bowl or he’s making All-Pro, it means he’s playing like the player you guys thought he was, and it should work out perfectly.'”

During an interview with The Seattle Times after Sherman’s arrest, Moss emphasized that she nor their two kids were harmed by the cornerback.

“At this time we’re going to make no statements, except he didn’t harm anybody,” Moss said. “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.”

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with assistance in English and Spanish. You can also speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.