Vikings: Everson Griffen Came Out Of His Home And Is Getting The Care He Needs
MINNETRISTA, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Vikings said Wednesday afternoon that law enforcement officials notified them that Everson Griffen came out of his Minnetrista home without incident and is getting the care he needs.
In a statement, the team said that it's thankful for the local law enforcement for ensuring that the situation ended peacefully. Minnetrista police said that the defensive end left his home around 1:30 p.m. and that an ambulance brought him to a health care facility where he is getting help.
"Our focus remains on Everson's health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family," the Vikings said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, team representatives and mental health professionals responded to Griffen's home after a video was posted to his Instagram account in which Griffen said someone was trying to kill him. In the video, Griffen could be seen holding what appears to be a gun, which he says is registered to him.
Images also posted to Griffen's account appear to show him asking for help and appear to be an exchange between himself and his agent. In one image, in simple white text on a gradient background, Griffen appears to write, "I need help people trying to kill me. At my own house."
The videos and messages have since been deleted from Griffen's verified account, but have been widely recorded and re-shared on social media.
The Minnetrista Police Department said multiple agencies responded to Griffen's home Wednesday morning after he called 911 to report an intruder. He told police he fired a weapon, but no one was hurt.
Police said they were "unable to locate an intruder" and were "confident" Griffen was alone in the home. Still, the incident remains under investigation.
During a Wednesday morning press conference, head coach Mike Zimmer briefly addressed the situation.
"The only thing I can comment on it is about, for his health and well-being, and for his family," Zimmer said.
When asked about Griffen's status for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, Zimmer said it's not the team's concern right now.
"That's really not our concern right now, it's really about him," Zimmer said.
Zimmer said that general manager Rick Spielman will address the situation later Wednesday.
Running back Dalvin Cook said he reached out to Griffen Wednesday morning "to make sure he was OK." Cook said he and Griffen have been close ever since Cook was drafted in 2016.
"Since I got here, he was one of the older guys that just took me under his wing and just taught me this what you don't do, this how you do it," Cook said. "Since he's got back, I think our relationship has got stronger ... That's my brother, so I just want him to be OK, in his mind, make sure his family OK, I just want what's best for Everson overall."
Griffen, who returned to the Vikings this season after a year in Dallas and Detroit, took time away from the team in 2018 after an incident at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis.
In that incident witnesses said Griffen was acting paranoid and threatening to assault the staff. At the time, the Vikings' security director told police Griffen had "not been acting normal" and "it's almost like he is having a nervous breakdown." His wife told police at the time "he hasn't slept in days" and "he is delusional because of the lack of sleep."
When Griffen stepped away from the team in 2018, he said in a statement he was "focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time."
Upon his return, he said, "I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and where I want to go and the decisions I made. I just want to get better with some of the decisions that I made and just improve on them."
