Panthers’ Damien Wilson Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Life of Ex-Girlfriend
Editor’s note: This story contains accounts of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or at https://www.thehotline.org/
Panthers linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested in Frisco, Texas, last week after his ex-girlfriend said he threatened to kill her and damaged her personal property after breaking up with him, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Wilson, who signed with Carolina last month, faces a charge of assault with bodily injury of a family member, Frisco police Sgt. Stephen Byrom said in an email to the Morning News. A police report was not immediately made available to the public.
Wilson’s attorney, Toby Shook, denied the allegations.
“Damien Wilson did not commit any type of assault,” Shook told the newspaper. “We look forward to all the facts coming out so his name can be cleared.”
A Panthers spokesperson told the Morning News that the team was aware of Wilson’s arrest but had no further comment due to the pending legal situation. Wilson was on Carolina’s roster as of Tuesday.
In an interview with the Morning News, Wilson’s ex-girlfriend Ryan Sokolosky recounted a harrowing experience. Sokolosky said that after she went to Wilson’s apartment to retrieve some items after the pair broke up, she and a friend arrived back to Sokolosky’s apartment and found her patio damaged.
Sokolosky told the paper that she and her friend retrieved Sokolosky’s dogs and went back to her car, where Wilson, who she says was drunk, emerged with a tire iron and threatened to kill her. The women ran back to her apartment, where Wilson followed her friend into the apartment and choked the friend. He then returned outside and slammed Sokolosky’s laptop on the ground. Wilson also tried to run her over before driving off, she said.
Sokolosky gave the newspaper permission for her name to be used. She said she obtained a protective order against Wilson but wanted to speak out because she believes he shouldn’t be in the NFL.
In 2017, Wilson was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a woman said he backed his pickup truck into her and threatened a man with a rifle outside of Frisco’s Toyota Stadium. A grand jury declined to indict Wilson.
Wilson was selected by the Cowboys out of Minnesota in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He’s also played for the Chiefs and most recently the Jaguars during his seven-year career.
