Seahawks’ offensive striker Chad Wheeler thought his girlfriend was dead after choking her unconscious – and was shocked that she survived, a police report shows.
Wheeler, a reserve offensive striker who played for the Giants from 2017 to 2019, was arrested early on Saturday on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend told police he beat her up in an apartment in Kent, the Seattle Times reported.
The officers responded to the residence and found the woman locked in a bathroom after a “physical fight” with Wheeler. She told the police during a 911 call that she was being “killed” and had a dislocated arm. Striker Seahawks had been taking drugs for bipolar disorder, but recently stopped taking them, the police report shows.
Wheeler, who weighs 1.80 m, 7 inches and 310 pounds, was surprised when his girlfriend regained consciousness after the alleged attack, according to the report.
“Wow, are you alive?” Wheeler asked her.
Photos circulating on Twitter, which allegedly were of a battered woman, showed her with a bleeding nose while in a hospital. Text messages allegedly sent by her indicated how “cold” Wheeler was during the alleged attack.
“He thought I was dead in my bed and continued to have dinner,” read the message. “When I ran to the bathroom, he said, ‘Wow, you’re still alive’ while having a smoothie.”
The assault came after Wheeler asked his girlfriend to bow to him, the police report said.
The Seahawks told ESPN on Tuesday that team officials were aware of the situation and “were still collecting” information.
Wheeler was released from King County Jail on Tuesday after posting $ 400,000 bail, records show online.
He is due to return to court on Wednesday for a probable hearing. A judge ordered Wheeler not to contact the victim or carry weapons during a hearing on Monday, the Seattle Times reported.
In 2015, Wheeler was arrested by the Los Angeles police while he was a student athlete at USC, where he punched walls and windows under the influence of drugs. He was not arrested, but taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
Wheeler played five games for the Seahawks last season and is now a restricted free agent.