Chad Wheeler, a Seahawks offensive lineman, believed his girlfriend had died after allegedly suffocating her unconscious, and was surprised she survived, according to a police report.
Wheeler, an offensive security guard who played the Giants from 2017 to 2019, was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of a domestic violence offense after his girlfriend told police he assaulted her in a Kent apartment , the Seattle Times reported.
Officers responded to the residence and found the woman locked in a bathroom after a “physical fight” with Wheeler. During a 911 call, she told police she was being killed and that her arm was dislocated. The police report shows the Seahawks liner was taking medication for bipolar disorder, but recently stopped taking it.
Wheeler, who appears 6 feet, 7 inches and 310 pounds, was shocked when his girlfriend regained consciousness after the alleged attack, according to the report.
“Wow are you alive?” Wheeler asked.
Photographs pretending to be an abused woman circulating on Twitter showed her with a bloody nose while she was in a hospital. The text messages allegedly sent by her indicated how “cold” Wheeler was during the alleged attack.
“He thought he was dead in my bed and kept eating dinner,” the message said. “When I went into the bathroom, he said, ‘Wow, you’re still alive’ while I was taking a smoothie. ‘
The assault came after Wheeler asked his girlfriend to bow to him, according to the police report.
The Seahawks told ESPN Tuesday that team officials were aware of the situation and were “still gathering” information.
Wheeler was released from King County Jail on Tuesday after posting $ 400,000 bonds, according to online records.
He is due to return to court on Tuesday for a probable cause hearing. A judge ordered Wheeler not to contact the victim or possess weapons during a hearing Monday, the Seattle Times reported.
In 2015, Wheeler was arrested by Los Angeles police while a student-athlete at USC, where he punctured walls and windows while under the influence. He was not arrested, but taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
Wheeler played in five games for the Seahawks last season and is now a restricted free agent.