Denver Broncos coach Michael Wilhoite is alleged to have punched a police offer in the face before being Tasered and arrested.
Shocking new details emerged on Monday, hours after news broke that the former NFL player had been detained and charged with assaulting a cop.
According to the Denver Post, court records show that Wilhoite is facing a single charge of felony assault over the incident at Denver International Airport on Sunday.
Police reportedly allege that he drove into the airport’s drop-off lane on Sunday afternoon before stepping out of his Ford Bronco and leaving it empty.
According to a police affidavit, reported by the Post, Wilhoite was approached by a uniformed officer, who told him he could not leave his vehicle unattended.
The linebackers coach then allegedly told the officer to ‘shut the (expletive) up’ – twice – before ‘bumping his chest’ into the cop.
Denver Broncos coach Michael Wilhoite is alleged to have punched a police offer in the face
The linebackers coach then allegedly told the officer to ‘Shut the (expletive) up’
According to the affidavit, the officer shoved Wilhoite back, prompting Wilhoite to punch him in the face. After the cop fell to the floor – and Wilhoite returned to his car – the police officer fired his Taser.
It’s said to have hit Wilhoite near his left hip – shocking him briefly – before the former NFL star drove away.
The officer was left with ‘visible injuries’ on his knees and pain in his jaw, according to the affidavit – as cited by the Denver Post.
Wilhoite was later arrested, with bond set at $5,000. According to the Denver Post, the coach’s attorney expects him to be out of jail on Monday.
The Broncos previously told 9 News Denver in a statement: ‘We are aware of a situation involving Michael Wilhoite that occurred Sunday and are in the process of gathering more information.’
Wilhoite played six seasons in the NFL after being an undrafted free agent out of Washburn University – a Division II school in Kansas.
He had played an entire season with the Omaha Nighthawks of the former United Football League before being signed to the practice squad of the San Francisco 49ers.
Wilhoite played on special teams for the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII – where they fell to the Baltimore Ravens.
After the cop fell to the floor – and Wilhoite headed to his car – the police officer fired his Taser
He remained on the active roster through the 2016 season. Afterwards, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks and played his final NFL season in 2017.
Wilhoite finished his playing career with 298 total combined tackles, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery in 79 games played across six seasons.
The New Orleans Saints hired him as a special teams assistant in 2019, becoming a defensive assistant in 2020.
After those two jobs, Wilhoite was hired as the linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers – where he helped develop players like Drue Tranquill among others.
The Chargers fired him in January 2023 and about a month later, the Denver Broncos hired him to join Sean Payton’s staff.
