Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty
UPDATED: 8 a.m. ET, April 1, 2024
Ex-Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton is finally in police custody after weeks of evading authorities. The former NFL player turned himself in on Sunday after being missing since a warrant was issued for his arrest in a domestic abuse incident.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Sutton turned himself in to Florida authorities On Sunday at 8:24 p.m., which police say was six days after his attorney told them Sutton would surrender.
Video of the arrest was shared by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on social media. Sutton had been on the run since March 7.
After weeks of evading law enforcement, this man has finally made the right choice to turn himself in,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a statement. “Domestic violence has no place in our community, and no one is above the law here in Hillsborough County. My thoughts are with this woman as she continues to heal from this man’s gruesome actions.”
According to AP, the Lions announced last week that they released Cameron Sutton amid the ongoing search for the Jonesboro, Georgia, native.
The announcement, posted on the X social media platform, did not give any further details from the organization.
Last month, NFL coach Mike Tomlin, who has always been an advocate for players, was asked if he had spoken to Sutton in recent days, he responded by saying, “I certainly have, but I’ll just leave that between us.”
When pushed further about his conversation with Sutton, Tomlin pushed back with a simple, “None of your business.”
For weeks, Florida authorities have been searching for Sutton, who had been missing since a warrant was issued for his arrest for domestic violence.
According to WFLA, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Detroit Lions Cornerback, Cameron Sutton and hasn’t been able to locate him for the past couple of weeks.
On March 7, Investigators received a call from a home in Lutz, Florida, and when they arrived Sutton was nowhere to be found. Police did find a woman who claimed Sutton had beaten her.
Amanda Granit, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the altercation between Sutton and the woman started as verbal and then escalated into being physical.
“We learned that he was in a verbal altercation with an adult female at that home,” Granit told Fox 2. “That verbal altercation escalated to a physical altercation where the victim sustained multiple injuries to her head, her neck, her shoulders, and that sparked the 911 call that came from that home.”
The active arrest warrant for Sutton is for domestic battery by strangulation and authorities are doing their due diligence to locate the NFL cornerback.
“Domestic violence doesn’t have a place in our community or any community,” said Granit. “It doesn’t matter who you are, no one is above the law. And that’s really the message here today – that Cameron Sutton needs to turn himself in, and we need to get to the bottom of everything that transpired on the 7th.”
Police say Sutton was last seen driving a Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
“We do know he has a home in a neighboring county here in Tampa,” said Granit. ”We’ve reached out to him there, we’ve reached out to him on his cell phone, through an attorney. He could be in Florida, he could be up in Michigan.”
Authorities also asked for the public’s help in tracking down Sutton. If seen, police are asking bystanders to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
“Someone in the community knows where he is and they reach out and let us know, or two, he sees this and says: I’ve got to do the right thing and turns himself in,” Granit said.
Cameron Sutton played in 17 games for the Detroit Lions last year after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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