The arrest occurred less than two weeks after the NFL handed Richardson a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
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Prosecutors say the former Mizzou football star was driving at “exceedingly high rates of speed” on Interstate 64 in “what appeared to be a road race”. Richardson driving a 2014 Bentley led police on a high speed chase and then attempted to fool officers by parking in a strangers garage and turning off all of his lights. Officers allege that a fully loaded handgun was found beneath the driver’s seat, and that they detected the smell of marijuana in the vehicle.
This news came out on Thursday about an hour after Richardson met with reporters saying he apologized to his teammates and the Jets organization.
“I’m not a dope fiend,” Richardson said before these latest charges broke. “I would just like to apologize again to my teammates”.
As for the team, coach Todd Bowles told the New York Times that they will all help Richardson tovercome his problems. He was the league’s top defensive rookie in 2013 and a Pro Bowler in 2014.
Richardson will be arraigned August. 31 for the charge of a resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor punishable in Missouri by up to one year in jail, and/or a fine of up to $1,000. “The plain and simple answer to you is when we had all the facts in front of us we thought we’re going to have a tough time proving this beyond a reasonable doubt”. The 12-year-old was one of four people in the vehicle.
On his reaction to the news on Sheldon Richardson… “My intention was to learn and play myself into a role on this team”.
“You are disappointed when a player breaks a rule or gets in trouble”, Bowles said.
Sheldon Richardson is not having a good offseason.
While many didn’t seem to be alarmed by his responses, I was both shocked and scared for this young man. I related to Richardson’s responses, and they raised red flags for me immediately.
“Seeing yourself going from Pro Bowl to second-string, can’t do nothing but be disappointed in yourself”, Richardson said Thursday afternoon.
Richardson said he learned about his suspension about a week before it was announced on July 2.
Richardson was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint because he was “appearing to reach for something between his feet upon being ordered to stop”, the police report said.
Richardson alluded Thursday to being depressed during the off-season, and revealed Friday, without going into details, that a close family member died. “My team will continue to push forward without me to start the season”.
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Bowles said he didn’t ask Richardson why he withheld the arrest from the organization. Should he just be traded or does he deserve yet another chance to get his life together and focus on football?
