Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Everson Griffen has been away from the team for what head coach Mike Zimmer has labeled a “personal matter.”
But a police report indicates the team felt Griffen “hasn’t been acting normal lately." The Vikings sent a letter to Griffen and his agent “stating he is not allowed back until he has a mental health evaluation.”
An incident report filed Saturday with the Minnetrista Police Department outlined a pattern of erratic behavior from Griffen, 30, who was just elected as a team captain for the third consecutive season. According to the report, Vikings director of security Kim Klawiter asked police to check on Griffen’s wife and children at their home because the team was concerned, telling the officer “it's almost like he is having a nervous breakdown.”
Klawiter also told Minnetrista police about an incident that happened earlier Saturday in which Griffen was removed from a downtown hotel by Minneapolis police for causing a disturbance. The report states that police made contact with Griffen’s wife, who corroborated the Vikings’ account that he “has not been acting normal lately.” Griffen’s wife said he occasionally “is fighting with ‘demons’ in his head.”
Minnetrista police also spoke to Vikings player development director Leslie Pico, who agreed Griffen had been struggling the past few weeks. The report states that Pico informed police Griffen was “explosive, screaming and yelling in the work place” during recent practices. After those incidents, Pico said the Vikings sent the letter to Griffen and his representatives demanding he have the mental health assessment. But Pico claimed “there is nothing that Everson has said or done that would rise it to the level where immediate action needs to be taken” as far as putting Griffen on a health and welfare hold.
According to the report, Griffen’s wife subsequently told officers that Griffen allegedly tried to enter the home of Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes and later hopped into the car of a stranger at a gas station asking for a ride home.
When officers arrived at Griffen’s residence, he told police that “God made me do it” when asked why he tried to enter Waynes’ home. Minnetrista police then placed a health and welfare hold on Griffen “based upon his actions."
While waiting for an ambulance, the report states Griffen spoke to the responding officer “including comments about people trying to kill him, referencing 777 and God several times.”
Police were called once more after the ambulance transporting Griffen for evaluation stopped for deer crossing the road, prompting Griffen to jump out “because he was in fear that someone was going to shoot him.”
Griffen complied with requests from police to return to the ambulance and was taken to the hospital.
Griffen, who has also been dealing with a knee injury, was deactivated for last Sunday's loss to Buffalo and will not be making the trip to Los Angeles for Thursday's game against the Rams.
“Really the only thing we’re concerned about with Everson isn’t anything to do with football,” Zimmer said Tuesday. “It’s about him getting better. In the five years that I’ve been here, I’ve always loved Everson, the effort that he puts out, the work that he does, the chance to count on him at game time and even in practice. He’s always been a really, really good model for us and obviously he’s going through some tough times now.”
The police report states that because “no crime was committed there are no criminal charges forthcoming” as a result of the incident.
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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes
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