Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died early Thursday morning from an apparent suicide after a police chase. He was 24 years old.
According to Frisco police, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to stop a vehicle that was committing a traffic violation.
The driver of the vehicle did not comply with this traffic stop and led troopers to pursue the vehicle. The troopers eventually lost sight of the vehicle until it was located abandoned and involved in a crash near Warren Parkway.
Police said that Kneeland fled the scene on foot, but was eventually found by the troopers with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at around 1:30 am Thursday morning.
The Plano police department had received a call earlier that night about a “welfare concern” from an address associated with Kneeland, but no reports came of it. Police had also received information that night that Marshawn Kneeland had expressed suicidal ideas, but it is unclear who that information was from.
The Dallas Cowboys released a statement Thursday, stating that Kneeland was a “beloved teammate and member of [the Cowboy’s] organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family”.
Jonathan Perzley, Marshawn’s agent, also released an emotional message honoring Kneeland with one line reading, “To lose someone with [Kneeland’s] talent, spirit and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words”.
Marshawn Kneeland was drafted out of Western Michigan in the second-round of the 2024 NFL draft. At Western Michigan, he was a second team All-Mid-American Conference pick in 2023.
Kneeland appeared in 18 games, compiling four starts, 26 tackles and a sack. In his last game, Kneeland scored a touchdown for the Cowboys when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.
