It took nearly a week since reports of a warrant was issued, but police have finally arrested New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez — or should I say former Patriots tight end.
Not only was Hernandez arrested — for what appears to be in suspicion of murder, or at the very least, obstruction of justice — but was released by the Patriots just hours later.
Less than two hours following his arrest, Hernandez was released by the Patriots, who initially announced the transaction on their Twitter account before formalizing it in an official statement.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s office released a statement announcing Hernandez’s arrest, although charges were not disclosed. Hernandez was arrested by Massachusetts State Police, who obtained the arrest warrant, and was booked at the North Attleborough police station.
The Massachusetts State Police announced on its Twitter account that the charges against Hernandez will not be revealed until his arraignment at Attleboro District Court….
…Wearing a white V-neck T-shirt, long red athletic shorts and black sneakers, Hernandez was led around 9 a.m. ET from the front door of his mansion with his hands in handcuffs behind his back inside the shirt and placed into a police cruiser, which quickly drove away. He casually spit into some bushes on his way to the car.
Hernandez remains at the center of an investigation involving the shooting death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd.
The Patriots also released a statement:
“A young man was murdered last week and we extend our sympathies to the family and friends who mourn his loss,” the Patriots’ statement said. “Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation. We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do.”
And the NFL:
“The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling,” the league’s statement said. “The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd’s family and friends.”
There are plenty of images of the arrest via MyFoxBoston.
It is suspected that Hernandez will post bail later Wednesday and will be set free.
You can read about how the story developed last week here.
The Patriots will be looking for answers offensively. They had already lost Gronkowski to an extended period of time due to multiple off-season surgeries, Wes Welker due to free agency and they didn’t resign Brandon Lloyd.
UPDATE: Wednesday, 10:10 AM PST: Deadspin has footage from ABC 5 of police approaching Hernandez’s home, ringing and knocking at the door for nearly a solid minute, then arresting the football star.
UPDATE: Wednesday, 11:50 AM PST: Reports surface Hernandez is being charged with murder, illegal possession of guns and obstruction of justice.
UPDATE: Wednesday, 12:41 PM PST: Confirmed reports state Hernandez is being charged with first degree murder and is not eligible for bail. Hernandez’s attorney, Michael Fee, made a very brief statement on live television following his arraignment but didn’t say much due to a gag order issued by the court. He said Hernandez is “fine,” after being asked by a reporter on his condition.
UPDATE: Wednesday, 4:14 PM PST: Sites, such as Deadspin, have footage of the courtroom arraignment from earlier today. The prosecutors state that Hernandez “orchestrated the execution.” Deadspin also helped point out divulged details.
Prosecutors detailed Lloyd’s multiple gunshot wounds—he was shot three times soon after getting out of the car, then two fatal shots were fired through his chest while he was lying on the ground. Keys to a vehicle belonging to Hernandez were found on Lloyd. Lloyd had all his possessions, so robbery was not the motive. .45 caliber shells from a semi-automatic weapon were recovered.
A warrant was issued to recover surveillance footage from the 14 cameras in and around Hernandez’s house, but police discovered that 6-8 hours of footage, from around the time of the murder, was missing. They were able to discover text messages from Hernandez to the victim and the two other suspects on the night of the murder.
According to a third party, Hernandez was angry with Lloyd for talking to a group of people at a nightclub on the previous Friday, a group that Hernandez apparently had beef with. The prosecutor said authorities have tape of Hernandez, with a firearm, saying “You can’t trust anyone anymore” before driving to pick up Lloyd.
UPDATE: Thursday, 9:43 AM PST: Yahoo Sports reports via the AP there is a second man in custody in relation to the Hernandez case:
Carlos Ortiz is in custody, and a prosecutor says it’s in connection with the murder investigation involving former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.
New Britain State’s Attorney Brian Preleski said Ortiz, a 27-year-old man from Connecticut, was charged as a fugitive from justice and has waived extradition to Massachusetts, the Associated Press said. He is being held on $1.5 million bail.
Photo Credit: Getty
Josh Helmuth is the editor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JHelmuth or subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports for the latest in sports on your newsfeed.
