Sports
Former NFL Star Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison
Former NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler, who played tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, was sentenced to 7 years in prison today. Wheeler was found guilty of two counts of domestic violence in November of 2023.
After Wheeler was first arrested back in 2021, he was released from the Seahawks, and has remained out of the league since the incident occurred.
Wheeler, who played college football for the USC Trojans, and played for the New York Giants as well as the Seahawks, was accused of strangling his girlfriend, Alleah Taylor, until she was unconscious.
Taylor had a fractured humerus and a dislocated elbow after the altercation.
A King County, Washington jury found Wheeler guilty of first- and second-degree assault/domestic violence. Wheeler was found not guilty of a third count of unlawful imprisonment last November.
Wheeler even allegedly told Taylor that he was ‘surprised’ she regained consciousness after he choked her. The charges of first- and second-degree assault/domestic violence that include a “used force or means likely to result in death,” meant that Wheeler faced a minimum of five years in prison.
It is important to note that Wheeler, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, claims that the incident was a result of a ‘manic episode’ that he experienced. Part of Wheeler’s sentencing today is that he undergo a mental health evaluation.
Another piece of Wheeler’s sentencing is that he undergo ‘community supervision’ for three years after his sentence has concluded.
Wheeler will spend the next 81 months in prison, going from playing in the most competitive sports league in America, and being amongst the highest paid athletes in the world, to sitting in prison.
Taylor, the victim, told USA TODAY about the verdict,
I’m very satisfied. It’s very unheard of that a Black woman was able to get justice from a white NFL player. A lot of people doubted that, that I was going to receive justice and he was going to go to prison. I’m very grateful that I was able to receive justice today, and that is a message to be sent to other men in power – that they will be held accountable.
Taylor to USA TODAY: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/03/01/chad-wheeler-sentenced-prison-domestic-violence-alleah-taylor/72813616007/
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