The case of Chad Wheeler, a former Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle, and Alleah Taylor, his ex-girlfriend, brought the issues of domestic violence and mental health to the forefront. This article delves into the details of the incident, the legal proceedings, and the aftermath for both individuals.
In January 2021, Chad Wheeler was arrested on suspicion of felony assault-domestic violence after an incident involving his girlfriend, Alleah Taylor. The King County prosecutor's office filed criminal charges of first-degree domestic violence assault, domestic violence unlawful imprisonment, and resisting arrest against Wheeler.
Earlier Wednesday, the Seahawks said that Wheeler, 27, is no longer with the team. In a series of tweets Wednesday, Wheeler wrote that, "Events happened over the weekend that transpired from a manic episode. I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering that I have caused to [the woman] and her family. I apologize profusely for the turmoil that I have caused to my family, teammates, fans and those closest to me. The most important thing right now is that [the woman] gets the care she needs and I get help. Both are happening."
It is time for me to walk away from football and get the help I need to never again pose a threat to another. I cannot express my sorrow or remorse enough. I am truly ashamed."
The Seahawks released a statement Wednesday that read, in part: "The Seahawks are saddened by the details emerging against Chad Wheeler and strongly condemn this act of domestic violence. Our thoughts and support are with the victim. Chad is a free agent and no longer with the team."
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Wheeler was waived by the team on Wednesday, per the NFL's official transactions wire.
Wheeler was arrested late Friday evening after the alleged assault at an apartment in the Seattle suburb of Kent, where he and the woman had been living together since November.
According to an incident report and charging documents obtained by ESPN, the woman called 911 from inside a locked bathroom and said she was being "killed." She told Kent police she had fled into the bathroom after Wheeler threw her onto a bed and choked her long enough for her to lose consciousness. At one point, she said, he removed one hand, stuck it down her throat and pressed it against her nose and mouth to try to stop her from breathing, while continuing to choke her with his other hand.
The woman briefly regained consciousness before Wheeler pinned her down and choked her back into unconsciousness, according to the charging documents. The woman recalled attempting to roll away from Wheeler, only for Wheeler to "violently grab her left arm and rip her body back toward him."
The charging documents state that when the woman regained consciousness for the second time, Wheeler calmly returned to the bedroom and expressed surprise, saying to her, "Oh, you're still alive." She ran to the bathroom, locked it and sent text messages to friends and family -- as well as Wheeler's father -- asking them to call 911. She said she heard Wheeler tell someone on the phone -- she believed it was his father -- that he was "just chillin'." When the woman tried to flee out of a second door to the bathroom, Wheeler entered and began apologizing profusely, she said.
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Police could hear a woman screaming from inside the apartment, the report states. They forced entry into the unit and then into the locked bathroom, where Wheeler was standing behind the woman. The report states that she was crying in pain, with her face covered in blood and her left arm swollen and limp against her body. She also had noticeable fingerprints on both sides of her neck, according to the report.
The woman was asked by one officer if she thought she was going to die and responded: "I thought I already had."
The charging documents state that the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Wheeler did not comply with officers' commands and that at least one Taser application was made directly to his body "with little effect." As three officers attempted to detain him, Wheeler repeatedly yelled, "Sorry!" and said, "I don't beat women!" He called out to the woman that he loved her. Wheeler refused to speak with officers, according to the report.
The woman was taken to a hospital because of pain in her left arm. Scans revealed a fractured humerus and dislocated elbow in the arm, according to the charging documents, which noted that the whites of her eyes having turned almost completely red was consistent with signs of strangulation. The documents state that a scan of the woman's chest showed indications that she had aspirated fluid and that she vomited large amounts of blood the next day. She also reported a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and eating, headache and neck pain, "which suggests possible internal injuries to the structures within the neck."
The woman told police that Wheeler, whom she has been dating for about six months, has bipolar disorder and that he had not been taking his medication recently. She said Wheeler had a "manic episode" that was not provoked by any sort of argument but rather began when he suddenly "snapped into a dark place" and told her to stand up and bow to him. He grabbed her by the neck and threw her onto the bed when she refused, the woman said.
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"We encourage Chad to get the help he needs," the Seahawks said in their statement, which also asked anyone experiencing domestic violence or mental illness to seek help.
Wheeler was booked into King County jail early Saturday morning and released Tuesday morning after posting a $400,000 bail bond. The King County Prosecutor's office asked for Wheeler to be held on $500,000 bail. The judge set bail at $400,000 and ordered Wheeler to have no contact with the woman and to surrender any weapons. He appeared in court Monday to determine whether there was probable cause to continue holding him in jail.
First-degree domestic violence assault is a Class A felony in Washington, while domestic violence unlawful imprisonment is a Class C felony. If convicted, Wheeler could be sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison, according to prosecutors.
An NFL spokesperson told ESPN that the matter is under review of the league's personal conduct policy. ESPN has reached out to Wheeler's agent for comment.
Wheeler went undrafted out of USC in 2017 and spent parts of his first three seasons with the New York Giants, starting 19 games with the team. He joined the Seahawks in October 2019 and appeared in five games this past season. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent before Seattle waived him Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Times reported that while at USC in December 2015, Wheeler was detained and then taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after police responded to a call that he was punching walls and windows while barricaded inside an apartment with a 20-year-old female friend and her 7-month-old son.
Alleah Taylor's Perspective
Alleah Taylor is speaking out for the first time since the incident. In a "CBS This Morning" exclusive interview, she told CBS News' Jericka Duncan that she will have to deal with the events that allegedly transpired for the rest of her life.
"I still have to regularly get my concussion checked... I have bolts, and steel, and a steel plate I'm gonna have forever in my arm... I'm gonna have...gonna have to deal with this the rest of my life," she said.
Photos of Taylor's injuries were leaked and made national headlines. She said she was injured after Wheeler, her then-boyfriend, attacked her.
Taylor said the pair dated for six months with barely an argument.
"We were, like, best friends. We did everything together...I even introduced him to my family. "He loved, just loved his long hair. Refused to cut it. And it surprised me, and it worried me," Taylor recalled. "I came home. And Chad was trying to play it off as if he just kinda cut his hair. But then, as time went on throughout the day, he started going downhill emotionally."
Taylor later told police it was the beginning of a "manic episode," adding she knew Wheeler suffered from bipolar disorder.
Taylor said Wheeler then "snapped into a dark place."
"He, he stood up. And he told me to bow down. And I asked him why. And he didn't respond. He just told me to bow down again. And I told him no. And he immediately grabbed my neck.
Taylor, who is 5-foot-9, says that's when Wheeler, who is 6-foot-7 and weighs more than 300-pounds, tried to choke her.
Taylor said she blacked out twice before the attack was over.
"I had touched my face. And I looked down, and there was, there's blood on my hand...I remember getting up and running to the bathroom. Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway. And he was sipping his smoothie and was, like, "Wow, you're, you're still alive," Taylor said.
Taylor said she then locked herself in the bathroom, called 911, and texted her family and Wheeler's father for help.
According to police reports, it took three officers and two sets of handcuffs to restrain Wheeler.
Police said Wheeler kept apologizing as he was arrested.
Taylor was asked by "CBS This Morning," in an interview that aired Wednesday, whether she thought the assault was directly connected to Wheeler's mental health.
"To be honest, I don't know," said Taylor, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time. "He went and ate dinner after doing this to me. He didn't take the same approach with the cops as he did with me."
When asked if she thinks Wheeler should serve jail time, Taylor said he should.
"Yes. Yes. I definitely do think that he should. I have to say the hardest part of all this wasn't the surgeries. It wasn't any of that. It was getting a call from my niece and nephews...They thought they had lost me. And the pain in their voice. I will never forget that. I will never forget that," she said.
Taylor said she is "beyond grateful" to be alive.
"I really feel like God has blessed me with another chance...And I wanna try to use the time I've been blessed with... to help other people. And to get the story out. And make sure people don't feel alone. And that this doesn't happen again," Taylor answered.
Taylor said a big source of her strength is her grandmother, who spent years advocating for domestic violence victims.
CBS News reached out to Wheeler's attorneysâthey declined to comment on the case. His trial is set to begin in Washington state in April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Wheeler pleaded not guilty to three charges, including domestic violence assault on February 1.
"I didn't want him to think that he had that power over me. That I wasn't going to defend myself... I thought, how easy would that be for him and his legal team to be able to say whatever they want without having to look me in the eye," she said.
One of the most brutal domestic violence cases in NFL history came to an end Friday when former Seattle Seahawks player Chad Wheeler was sentenced to 81 months in state prison after being found guilty of brutally assaulting his girlfriend in January 2021.
Wheeler, 30, had strangled his girlfriend unconscious, broke her arm and left her for dead then as blood poured from her nose and mouth and into her stomach, according to prosecutors. The woman, Alleah Taylor, still uses a brace on her arm and has scars from the incident near Seattle.
She attended the sentencing Friday in King County, Washington, after a jury convicted Wheeler in November of first- and second-degree assault/domestic violence. In addition to his 81-month term, the judge also sentenced Wheeler to 36 months of community custody.
Taylor agreed to an interview afterward with USA TODAY Sports.
âIâm very satisfied,â Taylor said by phone. âItâs 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. Iâm very grateful that I was able to receive justice today, and that is a message to be sent to other men in power â that they will be held accountable.â
Taylor testified against Wheeler in the trial last fall, taking the stand over the course of three days â a rare display in domestic violence cases. Such cases donât often go to trial because the women decide not to press charges or recant their accusations out of fear or desire to reconcile.
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