The King County, Washington, prosecuting attorney’s office has filed five criminal charges against Richard Sherman, the free-agent NFL cornerback who was arrested earlier this week.
Sherman pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon to the five misdemeanors, according to reporter Chris Ingalls. He was ordered not to contact two people and not to possess firearms, according to Ingalls.
According to KOMO in Seattle, Sherman has been charged with driving while under the influence; reckless endangerment of roadway workers; criminal trespass in the second degree – domestic violence; resisting arrest; and malicious mischief in the third degree – domestic violence.
On Friday afternoon, Sherman issued a statement on social media.
Sherman was arrested early Wednesday after police said he crashed his car in a construction zone and then tried to break into his in-laws’ home in the Seattle suburb of Redmond.
According to the police report, which had not been made public, Sherman’s father-in-law, Raymond Moss, told investigators the former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star partially broke in the door by repeatedly ramming it with his shoulder. Sherman called out, “Come through, Ray!” in a hostile and threatening tone, Moss said.
“The family began to yell in fear,” Moss told police. “I used pepper spray on Sherman’s face through the partially opened door as he was still banging and attempting to gain entry. I told him to stop. I armed myself with my handgun at this time fearing for the safety of myself and my family.”
Sherman’s wife, Ashley Moss, called 911 late Tuesday to report that he was being belligerent, had threatened to kill himself and was driving away after drinking two bottles of hard alcohol.
“At this time, we’re going to make no statements, except he didn’t harm anybody,” she told The Seattle Times on Wednesday. “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.”
In February, King County prosecutors and the sheriff obtained an “extreme risk protection order” for Sherman, which barred him from having guns after a judge determined he posed a danger to himself or others. Details of the case were sealed, and it was not immediately clear if any weapons had been seized from him.
Sherman, 33, became a Seattle sports legend during seven seasons with the Seahawks. The cornerback was a star in their run to a 2014 Super Bowl victory, making a game-saving play to deflect a pass in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.
He left the Seahawks after the 2017 season and played three seasons with San Francisco. He is now a free agent.
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