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Former NFL player accused of murder in Arizona: What are Michael Richardson charged with?
A former Chicago Bears football player was arrested in connection with the murder of a man in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, according to online prison records and various media outlets.
Phoenix police arrested Michael Richardson, 59, on Wednesday, Dec. 30, on a charge of murder, stemming from the shooting death of Ronald Like, 47, the day before, ABC15 reported.
On Tuesday, Dec. 29, police responded to a shooting near 40th and Van Buren streets around 9 a.m., the channel said. There they found Like, who had been shot, and rushed him to a nearby hospital where he later died, ABC15 continued, citing police.
Although police have not yet publicly mentioned Richardson as a suspect, ABC15 cited several “sources” confirming the arrest and connection. Maricopa County Jail records also show that “Michael Richardson” was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 30 on various charges, including murder, armed misconduct and a felony arrest warrant.
The former NFL player, who was on the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl winning team in 1985, has yet to appear before a judge for his initial appearance, prison records indicate.
According to ABC15, Richardson lives in a gated community in East Mesa.
Here’s what you need to know:
Richardson played football for Arizona State University and the Chicago Bears
According to ABC15, sources have confirmed on the channel that the Richhardson who was incarcerated on December 30 is the same man who “was an All-Pro corner and Super Bowl champion with the famous Chicago Bears. of 1985 “.
Richardson, originally from Southern California, played college football for ASU and was recognized as an All-American in 1981 and 1982, according to the American Football Database. He then went on to play in the NFL for seven seasons throughout the 1980s, according to the organization. Richardson played for the Chicago Bears from 1983 to 1988 and for the San Francisco 49ers, briefly in 1989, AFE said.
Richardson “was part of the Bears Super Bowl-winning team in 1985 and appeared in the infamous ‘Super Bowl Shuffle video,'” ABC15 added, writing:
In the catchy song, Richardson has a single, singing, “I’m LA Mike and I play it well. They don’t escape me because I’m not stupid.”
Richardson has an extensive previous criminal history, according to local media and online court records
According to online court records, Richardson has had several previous confrontations with the law; however, his most recent “arrest in connection with the murder is the most serious crime to which Richardson has been linked,” he told ABC15.
Earlier this year, Richardson has been arrested twice by Phoenix police on drug-related charges, according to Maricopa County court records. In 2018, he was charged with theft and possession of methamphetamine, crack and heroin, according to other online records.
Richardson had been convicted of more than 20 crimes in 2008, according to ESPN and The Chicago Tribune, in large part while living in Southern California before returning to Chicago in 2010.
“As recently as 2008, Richardson faced a 13-year sentence for possession of methamphetamine and crack,” he told the Chicago Tribune in 2011. “He had been convicted for the 21st time of a drug offense since the end of his football career “.
ESPN reported in 2010 that the football player developed a deep drug addiction, when he was 13 years old.
“Richardson spent much of his 30s and 40s going in and out of rehab and in prison – he had two four-year sentences in state prison. It wasn’t until police found 28 grams of cocaine and 10 grams of methamphetamines in his act after a routine traffic stop in September 2006, which faced his most severe jail time. The maximum sentence required 13 years. Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough requested eight, “he said. ensure the quoted medium.
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