Posted on 11/27/2007 3:49:39 AM PST by Terpfen
MIAMI - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died, says family friend Richard Sharpstein.
The 24-year-old player was shot in the upper leg, damaging an artery and causing significant blood loss. Family members were concerned that he could have permanent brain damage.
Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called 911. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital.
Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor's 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house at the time, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend were injured.
"It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a possible robbery," Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. "It has not been confirmed as yet."
Taylor was shot at the pale yellow house he bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. Taylor played at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003, and was also a high school standout in the city. His father, Pedro Taylor, is the police chief of Florida City.
Known as one of the NFL's hardest hitters, Taylor played in his first Pro Bowl last season. He is tied for the NFC lead this season with five interceptions, despite missing the past two games with a sprained knee. He did not travel with the Redskins to Sunday's 19-13 loss at Tampa Bay because of the injury.
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NFL ping.
That’s too bad. May he rest in peace. Prayers for the family.
The news says they think it was pay back for the way he use to live and that he might have been murdered it seems nothing was taken!
This appears something other than a robbery.
Sad story.
He should have confronted the attackers with a 357 instead of a machette.
Sean Taylor was an intelligent, hard-hitting safety with the Washington Redskins, and was destined for greatness. As tough as he was on the gridiron, it’s a shock that he lost his life in this manner.
Prayers to his family and friends.
Also, someone had broken in the week before. Doesn't sound like robbery to me.
Isn't his home in an exclusive part of town, and no doubt he surely had alarms and solid doors, etc.
How did they get in?
Sad. Prayers for the family.
This is as sad a story I’ve woken up to in a long time. Prayers to his family. What a tragedy.
I recall reading that he wasn't allowed to have a gun as one of the conditions of his probation from an incident a couple years back.
The guy was an unbelievable talent.
This type of gang related activity (if it was indeed that) raises a point that many athletes who are trying to leave the street scene but can’t and are forced under the threat of death of themselves or their family.
Im getting a feeling that many problems in the NFL could be the athletes being somewhat coerced into staying a “thug” or else.
Taylor’s death and the mystery surrounding it can’t help me think about other athletes who get into trouble. Is Chris Henry an idiotic thug because he wants to be one (probably) or is there a chance he is trying to keep some sort of street cred in order to not be killed for leaving the street?
I can't help wondering why he kept a machete rather than a .357 or an uzi something similar. He certainly could have afforded one. NFL Policy preventing players from keeping guns? Criminal history? He bought into the anti-gun myth that guns are dangerous to have? Believed that the police would protect him? Who knows. Too late for him now anyway, but maybe others will take their own defense seriously now that they see a sports star can be a victim too.
I hope they catch the thieves.
They'll put more resources into the effort to catch a murderer than they will a thief, and they'll put more resources to catch the murderer of a popular sports star than they would if it had been you or me. So they might actually catch they guy.
His father is the police chief in that area, according to an interview I heard this morning. I’m thinking that solving this murder will be a high priority for the police since one of their own was shot down.
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