New surveillance footage shows Sha’Carri Richardson in a heated moment with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman, before she ended up behind bars.
The video obtained by TMZ Sports shows a domestic altercation between the Olympic gold medalist and her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman, at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in July.
The footage, which has since gone viral, captures the incident that ultimately led to Richardson’s arrest.
The scene from July 27 shows a heated exchange between the track stars. Richardson, visibly upset, can be seen grabbing Coleman’s backpack before getting in his face. As Coleman appears to try to walk away and diffuse the situation, Richardson follows him, eventually pushing him into a wall. The altercation continues, with Richardson shoving him again and then, at a nearby checkpoint, appearing to hurl an item at his head.
After the couple talked for several minutes and Richardson left the area, police arrived and questioned Coleman. According to Port of Seattle Police documents, Richardson later told authorities that the argument started because Coleman had taken her electronic headphones. She insisted that she hadn’t assaulted him and that the dispute was only a “verbal argument.” However, after reviewing the surveillance footage, authorities arrested her on a charge of fourth-degree assault. She spent roughly 18 hours in jail.
Interestingly, Coleman, a fellow world-class sprinter, has since come to her defense. “It was a sucky situation all around,” he told reporters. “I don’t feel like she should have been arrested. People have emotions and stuff like that, and she has things she gotta work on for herself. So do I, so do you.”
This incident, which comes as a major shock to many fans, has sparked a fierce debate online. While some are concerned for Richardson and Coleman, others are pointing out the seriousness of the situation. As of now, Richardson has not publicly commented on the matter.
