Shortly before Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide, the player said goodbye to friends and said he couldn’t bear to do any time behind bars, police recordings revealed on Tuesday.
The Cowboys head of security, Cable Johnson, was put through to police in Plano asking for officers in that Dallas suburb to do a welfare check on the 24-year-old.
“He sent out some group texts that are concerning, probably mental health," Johnson told a police dispatcher. “The group text seemed to be saying goodbye and he made some statement about not being able to go to prison or to jail.”
It wasn’t clear what Kneeland could have been referencing about possible time behind bars.
The dispatcher didn’t ask Cable to elaborate and a Plano police spokesman couldn’t be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
Johnson said he had already been in touch with top brass at the Plano Police Department, asking for a welfare check to Kneeland’s apartment at 6000 Columbus Ave.
“I just was off the phone with (Plano Police) Chief (Ed) Drain so he’s aware, and I sent him the text as well,” Johnson said.
Kneeland was found dead in the early morning hours of Thursday last week with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after evading authorities, crashing a car and fleeing on foot, police said.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to stop his car for a traffic violation near Frisco on Wednesday night, launching the brief pursuit, police said.
Kneeland was in his second season with the Cowboys and had scored his first NFL touchdown days earlier, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals on "Monday Night Football."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
