Richard Sherman was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of burglary domestic violence. The NFL free agent was booked at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle and denied bail, according to public records. The case has been sealed, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, who noted an "extreme risk protection order” has been mandated, according to the notice in King County Superior Court.
Sherman, 33, played for the 49ers the past three seasons after starring for the Seahawks from 2011-17. He is also a vice president for the NFL Players Association, which issued a statement Wednesday confirming Sherman's arrest.
Below is a summary of the events that led to Sherman's arrest, based on police accounts and media reports.
Richard Sherman news
Sherman was arrested and booked at 6:08 a.m. Wednesday morning at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle on suspicion of burglary domestic violence.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report this news and also reported that Sherman was denied bail.
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
Sherman was denied bail because a judge needs to set bail "due to the felony nature of the incident," per NBC Sports Northwest's Joe Fann. His hearing will occur on Wednesday.
In addition to his arrest on burglary domestic violence charges, Schefter reports Sherman is being investigated in connection to a single-car hit and run. The car involved in the accident is registered to Sherman.
Washington State Police also are investigating Richard Sherman in connection to a hit and run, and damage to state Department of Transportation property. State police say that at about 1:00 a.m. PT, they received a report of a single-car incident. A car struck a concrete barrier
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 14, 2021
The driver apparently was able to drive the vehicle off the exit and abandoned it in a nearby parking lot. The registration was run, and it came back to Richard Sherman. https://t.co/WvJgxn9OfX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 14, 2021
The NFLPA released a statement about Sherman's arrest and confirmed that the organization had activated its "domestic violence crisis protocol." Sherman is one of the vice presidents on the NFLPA's executive committee.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Why was Richard Sherman arrested?
Sherman was arrested on suspicion of burglary domestic violence and denied bail. Additionally, an “extreme risk protection order” has been mandated in this case.
Authorities have yet to provide further details about Sherman's arrest. The case is sealed, according to a notice filed in King County Superior Court.
What is burglary domestic violence?
Washington state law defines two degrees of burglary charges that can be involved with domestic violence. The lesser of the two is burglary in the second degree.
The charge is defined as follows, according to domestic violence defense firm Karimi Law:
A person is guilty of burglary in the second degree if, with intent to commit a crime against a person or property therein, he or she enters or remains unlawfully in a building other than a vehicle or a dwelling.
This is considered a Class B felony. If convicted, penalties can include:
- Up to 10 years of jail time
- A fine up to $20,000
The first-degree offense is more severe and considered a Class A felony.
A person is guilty of burglary in the first degree if, with intent to commit a crime against a person or property therein, he or she enters or remains unlawfully in a building and if, in entering or while in the building or in immediate flight therefrom, the actor or another participant in the crime (a) is armed with a deadly weapon, or (b) assaults any person.
The penalties for first-degree burglary domestic violence can include:
- A lifetime jail sentence
- Up to $50,000 in fines
Charges in domestic violence cases will be filed by the state, not the victim. It's up to Washington state prosecutors to decide if they will press charges against Sherman.
Richard Sherman arrest timeline
- Sherman was arrested on the morning of July 14 at 6:08 a.m. He was denied bail and his case carries an "extreme risk protection order."
- Sherman is also being investigated in a single-car hit-and-run accident. The car involved was registered to him.
- Sherman is a free agent at this time. He played in just five games for the 49ers in 2020, making 18 tackles and recording one interception.
