Former Seattle Seahawks’ Chad Wheeler, guilty of domestic violence, sentenced Friday

Former Seattle Seahawks player Chad Wheeler was sentenced to 81 months in prison on Friday, more than 3 years after beating his ex-girlfriend, Alleah Taylor.

Wheeler was found guilty last year of first and second-degree domestic violence assault.

During the hearing, Taylor recalled some of the gruesome details that took place the night she was attacked.

“Let’s talk about mercy. You showed none the night you tried to murder me. 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?” Taylor said in court.

According to court documents, police had to force their way inside the bathroom, where both Wheeler and Taylor were.

It took three officers plus their Tasers to arrest Wheeler, who is 6 feet, 7 inches, tall and over 300 pounds.

“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,” Taylor told Wheeler in court.

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Before receiving his sentence, Wheeler apologized to Taylor, saying he was in the middle of a bipolar episode.

In 2021, Kent police officers were dispatched to where Taylor and Wheeler were living. Police were initially contacted by a friend of Taylor after she received a text from Taylor claiming she was locked in a bathroom after a physical fight with Wheeler. He then pushed her into the bathroom and locked the door when police arrived.

According to the police report, Taylor’s face was covered in blood and her left arm was limp against her body when they broke into the home and found her. An officer noted in the report that she had “noticeable fingerprints on both sides of her neck as well as capillaries that had burst at the back of her throat.” Standing approximately 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing more than 300 pounds, it took several officers to detain him.

Wheeler was eventually found guilty of single counts of first- and second-degree domestic violence assault last November. Additionally, he was found not guilty of unlawful imprisonment. Wheeler’s defense argued that he experienced a mental health episode on the night of the assault.

Since the incident, Taylor become a member of Sisters in Purple — a survivor-led domestic violence coalition, according to KIRO 7.

Wheeler made his NFL debut in 2017 with the New York Giants after the franchise signed him as an undrafted free agent. After two years with New York, he joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. He played in just five games, recovering one fumble during his stint, before he was waived after being charged with multiple counts of felony domestic violence. He has not been in the league since.

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Previous incidents involving Wheeler

In 2015, while Wheeler was in college at the University of Southern California (USC), he was detained — but not arrested — by police after allegedly punching walls and windows. Police shot him with multiple bean bag rounds after he showed signs that he might grab a weapon.

While he wasn’t arrested, Wheeler was instead taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. He claimed he was suffering from personal issues in an apology the following year.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.