OnTheWarpath15
09-25-2018, 05:20 PM
I'm not a big fan of posting stuff that's behind a paywall, but I'll make an exception here and post part of the story...
Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen agreed voluntarily to be hospitalized following a series of incidents over the weekend that have teammates and family concerned for his mental health, according to a Minnetrista police report obtained by The Athletic.
On Saturday, the report said, Griffen caused a disturbance at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis, entered a teammate’s house briefly before running away, and jumped out of a moving ambulance taking him to a hospital “because he was in fear that someone was going to shoot him.”
A Vikings front office member told police that the team had been concerned about Griffen’s mental health for multiple weeks, according to the report, and had informed him he wouldn’t be playing in last Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills after his behavior had intensified in recent days.
Another front office staffer told police that Griffen was informed on Thursday that he wasn’t allowed back to the team until he underwent a mental health evaluation. He still showed up to the team’s practice facility Saturday and was sent home.
Around noon that day, Griffen returned to Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis — where he was staying last week — and had Minneapolis police intervene because of a disturbance he caused after threatening to “shoot” someone, according to a Minneapolis Police Department report, though no gun was seen and no arrest was made. In the Minnetrista report, Vikings officials denied that Griffen made any threats at the hotel. Griffen then left the hotel and returned to his home on Lake Minnetonka.
A Vikings staffer called Minnetrista police to check up on Griffen’s family at the home, the report said. Griffen’s wife, Tiffany, ultimately met police at another location and expressed concern for Griffen, saying he had been fighting “demons” in his head and had previously left the home for extended periods of time.
Griffen returned to the home and briefly spoke with officers over the phone before hanging up and leaving the house again, the report said. Later, Tiffany received a call saying that Griffen had showed up at the home of Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes, shirtless. Police later confirmed that Griffen had been to Waynes’ home and “opened the front door and then quickly ran away when the door opened.”
Waynes released a statement Tuesday in support of Griffen.
“To clarify, there was no attempted break-in at our home and at no point did my family or I feel unsafe,” the statement said. “We are friends with the Griffen family and we are here to support them in any way possible during these trying times.”
Griffen then went to a nearby gas station, where he saw a man who works at an establishment he frequents. He claimed to know the person who was filling up gas in his truck, though the man later told police he did not know Griffen. Griffen then got in the passenger seat of the truck and had the man drive him around, at one point asking to return to Hotel Ivy. The driver took Griffen home after speaking with Tiffany, the police report said.
The police met Griffen at his home shortly after he was dropped off, where he agreed to go to the hospital. But around 6 p.m., police received a call because the paramedics said Griffen had exited the ambulance transporting him, fearing someone was “going to shoot him.” Police arrived and Griffen agreed to return to the ambulance and proceed to the hospital, where he remains.
No crime was committed, per the report, and there will be no further investigation. The focus now is on Griffen’s mental health.
“We are aware of the situation involving Everson Griffen and certainly concerned by what we have heard,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement Monday after initial news of the Hotel Ivy situation. “We are currently focused on Everson’s well-being and providing the appropriate support for him and his family.”
Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen agreed voluntarily to be hospitalized following a series of incidents over the weekend that have teammates and family concerned for his mental health, according to a Minnetrista police report obtained by The Athletic.
On Saturday, the report said, Griffen caused a disturbance at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis, entered a teammate’s house briefly before running away, and jumped out of a moving ambulance taking him to a hospital “because he was in fear that someone was going to shoot him.”
A Vikings front office member told police that the team had been concerned about Griffen’s mental health for multiple weeks, according to the report, and had informed him he wouldn’t be playing in last Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills after his behavior had intensified in recent days.
Another front office staffer told police that Griffen was informed on Thursday that he wasn’t allowed back to the team until he underwent a mental health evaluation. He still showed up to the team’s practice facility Saturday and was sent home.
Around noon that day, Griffen returned to Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis — where he was staying last week — and had Minneapolis police intervene because of a disturbance he caused after threatening to “shoot” someone, according to a Minneapolis Police Department report, though no gun was seen and no arrest was made. In the Minnetrista report, Vikings officials denied that Griffen made any threats at the hotel. Griffen then left the hotel and returned to his home on Lake Minnetonka.
A Vikings staffer called Minnetrista police to check up on Griffen’s family at the home, the report said. Griffen’s wife, Tiffany, ultimately met police at another location and expressed concern for Griffen, saying he had been fighting “demons” in his head and had previously left the home for extended periods of time.
Griffen returned to the home and briefly spoke with officers over the phone before hanging up and leaving the house again, the report said. Later, Tiffany received a call saying that Griffen had showed up at the home of Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes, shirtless. Police later confirmed that Griffen had been to Waynes’ home and “opened the front door and then quickly ran away when the door opened.”
Waynes released a statement Tuesday in support of Griffen.
“To clarify, there was no attempted break-in at our home and at no point did my family or I feel unsafe,” the statement said. “We are friends with the Griffen family and we are here to support them in any way possible during these trying times.”
Griffen then went to a nearby gas station, where he saw a man who works at an establishment he frequents. He claimed to know the person who was filling up gas in his truck, though the man later told police he did not know Griffen. Griffen then got in the passenger seat of the truck and had the man drive him around, at one point asking to return to Hotel Ivy. The driver took Griffen home after speaking with Tiffany, the police report said.
The police met Griffen at his home shortly after he was dropped off, where he agreed to go to the hospital. But around 6 p.m., police received a call because the paramedics said Griffen had exited the ambulance transporting him, fearing someone was “going to shoot him.” Police arrived and Griffen agreed to return to the ambulance and proceed to the hospital, where he remains.
No crime was committed, per the report, and there will be no further investigation. The focus now is on Griffen’s mental health.
“We are aware of the situation involving Everson Griffen and certainly concerned by what we have heard,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement Monday after initial news of the Hotel Ivy situation. “We are currently focused on Everson’s well-being and providing the appropriate support for him and his family.”