Seahawks player Chad Wheeler was being held in King County Jail on Monday night after being arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, accused of assaulting his girlfriend at a residence in Kent.
Wheeler on Monday appeared in King County District Court, and bail was set at $400,000. He was ordered not to have contact with the alleged victim and to surrender all weapons.
Court records show Wheeler was booked into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle at 1:19 a.m. Saturday.
Wheeler, a backup offensive lineman, joined the Seahawks in October 2019 and played in five games for them this season. He is a restricted free agent.
In a statement Monday night, the Seahawks said, “We are aware of the situation and still gathering information.”
The Seattle Times generally does not name suspects until charged. But there are some exceptions, including when a public figure is involved. The Times generally does not identify victims of domestic violence.
A Kent Police Department report said police responded to a call of a woman who was locked in a bathroom following a “physical fight” with her boyfriend.
The victim had called 911 to state that she was being “killed.” Police were advised that she had suffered a dislocated arm and was bleeding.
According to the report, when officers arrived they could hear screaming from inside the apartment, and after forcing their way in they heard more screaming from a bathroom. They forced their way in to the bathroom and found the victim and Wheeler. He was standing beside her, the report said.
Wheeler initially was uncooperative before being detained, the report said, and he did not speak to officers.
She was transported to Valley Medical Center in Kent because of arm pain, the report said.
Wheeler is 6 feet 7 and 310 pounds, and the victim is 5-9 and 145 pounds, the report said.
According to the report, Wheeler had been on medication for bi-polar disorder but had not taken it of late.
The report said the incident began when Wheeler asked the victim to bow to him, and when she did not he grabbed her and threw her on a bed.
The report said Wheeler then strangled the victim before she lost consciousness. The report also said when she regained consciousness, Wheeler was standing near the bed and said, “Wow you’re alive?”
The victim then ran into the bathroom where she called 911 and family, according to the report. Wheeler picked the lock on the door and entered before officers arrived.
It was not clear Monday night if Wheeler has a lawyer.
Wheeler played 65 offensive snaps and 22 on special teams for Seattle this season.
He filled in at right tackle in games against the Giants and Jets in December due to injuries to other players.
Wheeler played in 27 games with 19 starts for the Giants from 2017-19, including 14 starts for the Giants in 2018.
The Seahawks signed Wheeler in October 2019 after he was waived by the Giants. He is a restricted free agent, and if he does not receive a qualifying offer he would become an unrestricted free agent when the NFL’s new league year begins March 17.
Wheeler was a four-year starter at left tackle at USC from 2013-16. He was an All-Pac-12 selection as a senior and second-team All-Pac-12 as a junior.
He went undrafted out of USC, with a 2017 story in the New York Daily News reporting there were questions about Wheeler’s past, including a December 2015 altercation with police.
As detailed by the Daily News, Wheeler was not arrested but reportedly threatened a teammate, punched the walls and windows of an apartment, got into an altercation with police and then was taken to a Los Angeles hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
An NBC News report alleged Wheeler was “possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol” and did not recognize a fellow offensive lineman, so he threatened him. That prompted his outburst, a call to police, and then officers firing beanbag rounds at a fleeing Wheeler to subdue him, according to the report.
As detailed by the Daily News, Wheeler cited personal issues and apologized. In a statement released in March 2016: “I regret what I did. I apologized to my coach, my teammates and fans. I did have personal issues (at the time).”