Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was growing increasingly paranoid and feared someone was trying to kill him in the weeks and days before troubling incidents Saturday at a downtown Minneapolis hotel and in his Minnetrista neighborhood sent law enforcement looking for him, according to police reports released Tuesday.
The behavior prompted the Vikings to ban a disruptive Griffen last week from practice and seek mental health treatment, the reports said, which also noted that the 30-year-old husband and father is not suspected of a crime.
By the end of Saturday afternoon, Griffen was taken in an ambulance for treatment, but not before another outburst prompted police to intervene and escort him to the emergency vehicles' destination.
Griffen did not play in Sunday's 27-6 loss to Buffalo at U.S. Bank Stadium. He was on last week's injury report as sidelined by a knee injury. On Monday, the Vikings listed him on the injury report as not having practiced because of "knee/not injury related."
On Monday night, Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman issued a statement that read, in part, "We are aware of the situation involving Everson Griffen and certainly concerned by what we have heard."
Griffen is at a mental health facility for evaluation and treatment, NFL sources have confirmed. His struggles raise doubts when Griffen might get back on the field as well.
Griffen first drew police attention about 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, where the three-time Pro Bowl player was threatening to assault staff employees and lying on the lobby floor, according to a Minneapolis police incident report.
Emergency audio dispatch revealed as events unfolded that he "said that if someone doesn't let him in his room that he is going to shoot someone," but no gun was seen.
An officer met with Griffen's wife at a park Saturday in Mound and recounted events leading up to the hotel incident:
She said her husband awoke in the middle of the night on Sept. 16 and left the home. She said he does this at times when he is fighting "demons" in his head. She said he returned Wednesday only to leave an hour later and not return until Saturday morning.
She said Griffen wasn't making sense, became combative and ordered her out of the Minnetrista home. He then went to the Hotel Ivy, which is where he stays during the week. She said Griffen needs to be medicated for his mental struggles and had been without sleep for days.
The officer called Griffen on his cellphone, and Griffen said he was going to be gone for about a week and was rambling incoherently before hanging up.
Police learned from Vikings player development director Les Pico that Griffen "has been really struggling for the past few weeks," the police reports read, and that the Griffens are facing possible divorce.
Pico said Griffen "has been explosive, screaming and yelling" at practice, the reports continued. Pico called Griffen paranoid and prone to repeating himself.
The team notified Griffen's agent that its defensive star was banned from practice until his mental health is evaluated.
Griffen's wife then called and said he was at teammate Trae Waynes' home down the road. Griffen was trying to break in, had jumped through bushes and was shirtless. Within minutes, Griffen's wife notified police that he was in a pickup truck with someone who didn't know what to do with him. The man had encountered Griffen at a gas station, and delivered him home.
Police met Griffen outside late Saturday afternoon, and he was making comments about "777" — having to do with angels — and that he went to Waynes' home because "God made me do it."
Griffen agreed with the officer to be taken for mental health treatment. But soon after the ambulance was en route, Griffen fled the vehicle. By the time police arrived, he had returned and had his hands in the air. Eventually, Griffen agreed to continue the trip under police escort.
The Vikings selected Griffen in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He has been chosen for the Pro Bowl the past three seasons and received a four-year, $58 million contract extension from the team in 2017 that put him under contract through the 2022 season. He was elected a team captain for the third consecutive season in 2018.
Griffen was arrested twice in three days in Los Angeles in 2011, following his rookie season, for public intoxication and driving with an invalid license.
Star Tribune staff writers Liz Sawyer and Ben Goessling contributed to this report.
Originally Posted by :
Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen posted a video on Instagram early Wednesday morning saying people were trying to kill him, and called police to his home in Minnetrista.
Griffen was alone inside the house with police outside in a standoff that stretched into the afternoon. He called 911 shortly after 3 a.m. from his home in the 5700 block of Hardscrabble Circle and said someone was with him and that he needed help from law enforcement, but no intruder was located, Minnetrista police said. He also told the dispatcher that he fired one round but nobody was wounded, police added.
Since about 7 a.m., law enforcement have been in on-going communication with Griffen, who has refused to come out of his residence. Vikings staffers had also been on the scene in the morning.
"At this time, law enforcement officers are confident Griffen is alone inside the home and continue to work with him to resolve the situation," a statement from police read.
The Vikings issued this statement: "Vikings representatives and the team's mental health professionals have been on-site at Everson Griffen's home since early this morning and are cooperating with law enforcement. Our only concern at this time is the safety and well-being of Everson and his family."
Coach Mike Zimmer, at his 10:30 a.m. press briefing, reiterated the team's concern and said he spoke to the players earlier in the day. Zimmer said he learned of the situation early Wednesday morning and deferred questions to General Manager Rick Spielman, who will address the media later today.
Early Wednesday morning, Griffen posted screenshots on his Instagram account of text messages to his agent Brian Murphy, asking for help, telling Murphy to call 911 and saying, "People are trying to kill me." A video on Griffen's Instagram account, which was later deleted, showed the 33-year-old in his house holding a gun, saying people were trying to kill him and that he had purchased the gun and bullets legally.
In September 2018, Griffen was taken by ambulance to a hospital after two incidents prompted police involvement. During those incidents, Griffen threatened violence at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis and made comments about people trying to kill him.
The defensive end spent four weeks undergoing mental health treatment before returning to the Vikings that season, and later revealed he lived in a sober house for the final three months of the 2018 season. He played 17 of the team's 18 regular season and playoff games in 2019.
This summer, the Vikings brought Griffen back on a non-guaranteed veteran minimum salary contract after a tryout during training camp. The deal came after a long conversation with coach Mike Zimmer, who said on Aug. 23, "It seems like he's in a good place. Hopefully he can continue to do that, and if he does he can help us."
They had intended to use the 33-year-old only in pass-rushing situations, but he played well enough to regain his old spot as the team's starting right defensive end and was especially valuable in light of Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter incurring a season-ending injury. Griffen is second on the team with five sacks.
Staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this story.
I feel bad for the guy. I don't know what you can really do about this unless he was just off his meds. But stuff like this puts you in a really vulnerable situation to get shot if you're running around with a gun. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BDj23:
Nice taste in firearms though
Yep. Pricey, too.
I've never shot one, but I assume it has a really light trigger, as you'd expect from a $3,000+ gun. I was surprised that he didn't fire off a round when he was waiving it around with his finger on the trigger. :-) [Reply]
The Vikings defensive end left his home more than five hours after police arrived because he called 911.
The Vikings issued this statement: "Law enforcement agencies have notified us Everson Griffen came out of his home without incident and is now getting the care he needs. We are thankful to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Carver County Sheriff's Office, the Minnetrista Police Department and the Orono Police Department for their quick response and dedication to ensuring the situation ended peacefully. Our focus remains on Everson's health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family." [Reply]
