Seahawks Ex Chad Wheeler Sentenced To Prison For Domestic Violence
Former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler was sentenced to prison on Friday, over three years after an arrest in Kent, Washington for assaulting ex-girlfriend Alleah Taylor.
Wheeler, 30, was found guilty in November on counts of first-degree and second-degree assault, although he was found not guilty of false imprisonment. He was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison (81 months to be exact) followed by three years of community custody, and was prohibited from contacting Taylor indefinitely.
In Friday's hearing, Taylor shared some harrowing details from the incident more than three years ago.
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“Let’s talk about mercy. You showed none the night you tried to murder me," Taylor said in court, per MyNorthwest. "You smiled while you stuck your fingers down my throat and strangled me. You didn’t think I was going to come back this strong, did you?
“Before you tried to kill me, I would have done anything for you. You weren’t honest with me and it almost cost me my life."
On Jan. 22, 2021, Wheeler and Taylor got into a fight that sadly turned physical. After a 911 call, police officers had to force their way into the bathroom where both of them were. Court documents state that it took three officers and tasers to detain Wheeler, who stands at 6-7 and over 300 pounds.
According to the police report, Taylor's face was covered in blood and her left arm was limp when officers arrived. An officer added in the report that Taylor had “noticeable fingerprints on both sides of her neck as well as capillaries that had burst at the back of her throat.”
Wheeler apologized to Taylor before he received his sentencing, claiming that he was experiencing a bipolar episode during the incident.
In the three years since the incident, Taylor has joined Sisters in Purple, a domestic violence coalition led by survivors. She also works in the medical field and as a model.
“I just want to break the cycle," Taylor told KING 5. "I come from a long line of women that have dealt with domestic violence and I just feel like it just needs to end.”
