Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold distanced himself from an armed robbery and kidnapping case after a Florida judge mentioned his alleged involvement in a court order on Thursday.
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy painted the alleged crimes as retaliation for a pair of thefts at Arnold’s rental home in Largo, Florida, per Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. A woman identified by the judge as Arnold’s girlfriend was also alleged to have instructed another woman to «act as bait» to lure one of the victims.
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The defendants in the case are accused of taking two men hostage in an apartment and «interrogating, beating, and pistol-whipping them for the better part of an hour,» per the News. At one point, one of the women allegedly started livestreaming the proceedings, and the other woman allegedly said in a text message they had been instructed to hold the victims until «terrion» and two acquaintances arrived at the apartment complex.
The incident allegedly ended with the defendants taking wallets, phones, jackets, cash and jewelry worth a total of $6,260 from the victims and escorting them out of the residence at gunpoint.
A statement released by Arnold’s lawyer via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press paints Judge Murphy’s claims that he was involved in the incident and that one of the women is his girlfriend as «false, misleading and entirely unsupported by the record.»
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More from the statement:
To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests. He did not participate in, nor was he present for, any conduct related to the alleged offenses. There is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Mr. Arnold in any way.
In fact, after direct communication with the lead prosecutor, it has been confirmed that no charges have been filed against Mr. Arnold in connection with this matter.
Five people have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident, with members of the group facing charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. They face life in prison on the kidnapping charges alone.
Arnold has played two seasons in the NFL since being selected in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Tallahassee native and Alabama product has recorded 91 total tackles, 18 passes defended and 1 interception in 24 career games, but missed the end of last season due to shoulder surgery.
