More than two years after the arrest of former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler in connection to a violent assault on his ex-girlfriend, a verdict in the case was delivered on Thursday.
Wheeler was found guilty of one count of first-degree domestic violence and one count of second-degree domestic violence in King County, Washington, as reported by TMZ. However, he was acquitted on a charge of unlawful imprisonment.
Following the verdict, Wheeler was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14. A spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated that the jury determined Wheeler had “used force or means likely to result in death.”
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The first-degree charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, and prosecutors can seek a longer sentence because Wheeler was also found guilty of the second-degree charge.
The assault took place on January 22, 2011, at an apartment in a Seattle suburb, where Wheeler attacked his ex-girlfriend, Alleah Taylor, resulting in injuries to her neck and face. Taylor informed the police that Wheeler has bipolar disorder and had not been taking his medication leading up to the assault.
Wheeler played for the Seahawks in 2019 and 2020, following three seasons with the New York Giants. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the time of his arrest. Despite announcing a temporary retirement after the incident, it is now considered highly unlikely that the 29-year-old will return to play in the NFL.
