Two Minneapolis police officers are under investigation after they were reportedly called to a Minnesota home belonging to Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen around 5 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to a press release sent out by the Minneapolis Police Department, a man called 911 to report he had been robbed. He then reportedly walked up to an open door of Griffen’s home and “assumed that Griffen was home,” later contacting him about the crime. Police say that although Griffen answered the door, he said the man was “misunderstanding” him and that he was on his way to police headquarters.
When the officers showed up, they saw a gun “clearly visible” near Griffen’s room. Police say they made Griffen put the gun “under his pillow” until they arrived.
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NFL players have been targets of a number of attempted robberies in recent years. Last year, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins was robbed at gunpoint. A few months before that, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was burglarized at gunpoint after leaving an LAPD police department event in Dallas. Earlier this year, Bengals cornerback Adam Jones was arrested for fighting with a Waffle House server at a location that he manages.
As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Saturday, Griffen didn’t keep the man at the door very long. According to the report, Griffen “arrived home early Saturday and advised that a man who had just come to the door may have been the caller.” Despite Griffen’s attempts to let the man in, he left without incident.
The home was searched by police, and the man was eventually arrested. It’s not clear how the man knew Griffen, and nobody was injured in the incident.
According to a Minnesota Vikings spokesperson, Griffen decided not to press charges against the man, instead writing a $1,000 check to the police department.
“Everson indicated that it was his home and I understand why he wanted to remain inside during the incident,” the spokesperson told the paper. “He supported a choice by the officers to not arrest the man, and stated that the man did not deserve to be jailed and would be safely placed into a safe place for the evening.”
The Minneapolis Police Department is reportedly “reviewing evidence” and has referred the case to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review. It’s unclear whether the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, per Minnesota law.
“We take everything that happens on our property very seriously, and are conducting a full investigation into what occurred,” a spokesperson for the department told the Star Tribune.
TMZ reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the incident, that police tried to take the man into custody for robbery. Griffen was reportedly asked to call a tow truck, and is accused of dissuading him from doing so. The man was eventually arrested when Griffen wasn’t around. The police department, though, told the Star Tribune that “it is not our practice to discuss crime investigation details.”