Vikings Concerned For Griffen's Well-Being; Police Report Gives More Details
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Police incident reports released Tuesday give us a clearer picture of what happened with Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen over the weekend.
They show he'd been struggling with mental health issues for weeks before an incident involving police on Saturday. That's when witnesses at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis said Griffen was threatening to assault the staff.
A detailed report released Tuesday by the Minnetrista Police Department shows Griffen was showing signs of being paranoid. WCCO's Angela Davis tells us more.
This is Griffen's ninth season with the Vikings. He didn't play in three preseason games due to a leg injury, and now we know he was also struggling with mental health.
The officer who wrote Saturday's police report states the Viking's director of security reached out to police saying "He has not been acting normal lately and said that it's almost like he is having a nervous breakdown."
The report describes a conversation with Griffen's wife, who said, "He hasn't slept in days and thinks he is delusional because of the lack of sleep."
It also shows that the Vikings notified Griffen and his agent that he was not allowed back at practice until he had a mental health evaluation. That's because he'd been "explosive, screaming and yelling in the workplace."
When officers confronted Everson at his home, he made "comments about people trying to kill him, referencing 777 and God several times."
Later, as Griffen was in an ambulance and headed to a hospital, paramedics told police, "A few deer ran across the road and while they were driving, Griffen got up and jumped out of the ambulance because he was in fear that someone was going to shoot him."
"I just hope for the best for him. In the long run, he's a really good kid," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, head coach Mike Zimmer expressed concern.
"It's about him getting better. In the five years I've been here, I've always loved Everson," Zimmer said. "Obviously he is going through some tough times now."
Coach Zimmer says the team has a very good support program for mental health issues. And that if they have to bring in experts from other places, they will do everything they possibly can to help Everson Griffen and his family.