Judge Orders Richard Sherman's Release After Thursday Hearing

SEATTLE — A King County judge ordered that former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman be released on personal recognizance Thursday, one day after his Redmond arrest. Police allege he drove drunk, attempted to break into his in-laws' home and resisted arrest.

Sherman, 33, of Maple Valley, waived his right to appear at Thursday's hearing and was represented in court by his attorney, Cooper Offenbecher. While initially booked on suspicion of "burglary domestic violence" — a felony — prosecutors asked Judge Fa'amomoi Masaniai to find probable cause on four misdemeanor offenses:

• Criminal trespass in the second-degree with a domestic violence designation
• Malicious mischief in the third degree with a domestic violence designation
• Resisting arrest
• Driving under the influence

The two allegations with "domestic violence designations" are due to Sherman's relationship with the victims. He has yet to be formally charged in the case.

Prosecutors asked the judge to set bail at $10,000 and sought a protection order against Sherman for his father-in-law. They also asked the court to prohibit him from possessing weapons and consuming alcohol or non-prescribed drugs, which a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office described as common requests.

"The bail request made by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is consistent with bail requests in domestic violence cases that have similar circumstances," wrote Casey McNerthney, communications director for the prosecutor's office. "In other words, Mr. Sherman's case is not being handled differently, either way. The basis for the bail request is the underlying facts of the case, concerns for community safety, concerns for Mr. Sherman's family and Mr. Sherman himself."

Masaniai authorized Sherman's release without bail, and a second hearing is scheduled for Friday. King County prosecutors will make a formal charging decision after completing a review of the investigation, which could also happen as soon as Friday.

As the Associated Press reports, the judge called Sherman a "pillar of the community" and noted it was his first arrest. Sherman's wife, Ashley, shared a brief statement after the hearing.

"I love and support my husband," she said. "I am committed to helping Richard get the support and care that he needs. Richard has always been a loving father and husband, and we are looking forward to seeing him at home with his family."

Court filings, 911 calls and police reports released Thursday paint a fuller picture of Sherman's arrest early Wednesday.

According to Redmond police reports, the Maple Valley Police Department contacted dispatch just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, advising them of reports that Sherman had been drinking heavily, made suicidal statements and was possibly headed to Redmond.

A couple of hours later, a Redmond officer reported he saw Sherman walking in his district and notified a sergeant. A few minutes after that, Washington State Patrol told Redmond police that troopers had found Sherman's vehicle in a Bellevue-area parking lot and believed it was crashed in a potential drunk-driving incident on State Route 520, police said.

Around the same time, police said Sherman's wife called 911 from her parents' Redmond home and said he was trying to break through the door. Dispatch later learned Sherman's father-in-law, a retired state trooper, had armed himself with a handgun inside the home. In a written statement included in court filings, the father-in-law said he used pepper spray on Sherman through the partially opened door.

Officers at the house described Sherman as confrontational and said he evaded their first attempts to place him under arrest. He was eventually taken to the ground by several officers and bit in the foot by a K-9, police said. He was treated for the bite at a hospital and had a blood draw for suspected intoxication before being booked into jail.