Former Seahawks S Earl Thomas Arrested in Texas
Two weeks after a warrant was issued for his arrest for an alleged violation of a court protective order, former Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was arrested in his hometown of Orange, Texas on Friday.
Per a report from WFAA in Dallas, the Orange Police Department arrested Thomas after he had been identified in a local restaurant.
An arrest warrant for Thomas originally was issued on April 27 and according to the Austin American-Statesman, police said he broke a protective order by threatening his estranged wife Nina Thomas and her children via text. After being apprehended on Friday, the former Texas standout faces a third-degree felony for multiple violations in a 12-month period for a protective order filed in May 2021.
According to the newspaper, the order stated that Thomas could only communicate with Nina Thomas through a co-parenting app, but he has refused to download and use the app. Instead, he has stalked her and shown up uninvited at places she visits. Recently, she told police he had been violating the order by sending threatening texts, including texting her on April 18 that he had acquired two handguns and would "kick [her] ass."
Additionally, Thomas allegedly threatened to poison the children and police say he later texted, “I hope u in the car with him and the kids and yall drive off the road.”
Trey Dolezal, who has been representing Thomas during ongoing divorce proceedings, said the warrant was issued as a result of his client reaching out to her to see his children.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first legal issue Thomas has dealt with in recent years. In May 2020, he allegedly was held at gunpoint by his wife after she discovered him and his brother Seth in bed with other women. Nina Thomas was arrested the next day on burglary charges and filed for divorce in November, eventually being granted a restraining order against her husband.
Thomas, 33, recently told ESPN's Adam Schefter on April 22 that he wanted to resume his NFL career after sitting out the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The five-time All-Pro selection last played for the Ravens in 2019 after signing a four-year contract and wound up being released in training camp the following August after he punched teammate Chuck Clark during a practice altercation. He had a visit scheduled with the Texans shortly after, but the team opted not to bring him in.
Given his age and the fact he hasn't played in two years, Thomas already faced slim odds reviving his career. With this latest arrest, he's all but ensured he won't play another snap in the NFL and hopefully he will get the help he desperately needs.
