Former Seahawks Star Earl Thomas Arrested for Allegedly Violating Protective Order

Former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl
Thomas was arrested Friday night in Orange, Texas, on a warrant issued in April for an alleged violation of a court protective order, a third-degree
felony.

WFAA’s Kierra Sam reported Saturday a
person saw Thomas inside a restaurant and contacted the Orange Police
Department, which took him into custody.

The warrant was issued after Thomas’
estranged wife told police he’d sent text messages that threatened
her and her children, per Ryan Autullo of the Austin
American-Statesman.

She stated the protective order, which
was issued in May 2021, said the two could only have contact via a
co-parenting phone application, but Thomas refused to download the
app and “arrives unannounced at places she frequents.”

Autullo provided some of the messages
the woman said came from Thomas that were included in the arrest
warrant:

• “Waiting on hand in foot is why I’ll kick ur ass.”
• “I hope u in the car with him and the kids and yall drive off the road.”
• “Ima let my momma and my cousins poison they (their children) ass.”

The woman also expressed concern about
Thomas’ mental state after suffering “several” concussions in the
NFL and suggested he may have chronic traumatic encephalopathy
(CTE), a degenerative brain disease often found in football players
who suffer repeated blows to the head.

Trey Dolezal, Thomas’ lawyer, provided
a statement to Autullo about the allegations.

“[Thomas and his estranged wife] were consciously and
collectively working together to see his kids,” Dolezal said. “I
don’t really understand how he could be in violation by working
together to visit with his children.”

Thomas and his estranged wife are in
the midst of divorce proceedings that began in November 2020.

Prior to the arrest warrant being issued, the
33-year-old defensive back told ESPN’s Adam Schefter in late April he was hoping to
resume his NFL career after sitting out the last two seasons.

Thomas is an Orange native who played
at the city’s West Orange-Stark High School and the University of
Texas before arriving to the NFL in 2010. He spent nine years with
the Seahawks and one with the Baltimore Ravens.