Photo: Sports Illustrated
A former NFL player was arrested Jan. 17 on sexual assault allegations, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept.
Darren Sharper, who is currently a commentator with the NFL Network and lives in Miami Beach, Fla., was arrested by the LAPD in mid-January on allegations of two sexual assaults committed in West Los Angeles.
The LAPD believe the sexual assaults were committed in October 2013 and again in January 2014. An investigation is currently ongoing by the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division, Sexual Assault Section. According to an LAPD blog, Sharper was arrested for allegedly violating section 261(a)(3) – Rape – of the California Penal Code; he was booked at the Metropolitan jail but is reportedly free on $200,000 bail.
Sharper’s next scheduled court appearance is Feb. 14.
Formal charges have yet to be filed by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, according to news reports.
The Times-Picayune reported in late January an unrelated and separate allegation of rape was filed Sept. 24, 2013, with the New Orleans Police Dept. against Sharper. However, Sharper’s attorney, according to the Times-Picayune report, disputed that allegation.
Sharper, 38, is a retired NFL player who spent 14 seasons playing safety for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Saints. He was a member of the Saints team who beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The former defensive stalwart played in the NFL between 1997 and 2010 and was a five-time Pro-Bowler. In 2012, he was hired by the NFL Network to be an in-studio analyst. The network reportedly suspended Sharper without pay after he was arrested two weeks ago.
This story will be updated as more information is made available.
