Former Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants offensive lineman, Chad Wheeler, has been sentenced to 81 months in prison after being found guilty of a violent assault on his former girlfriend, Alleah Taylor.
A jury found Wheeler guilty on first- and second-degree domestic violence assault charges stemming from the January 2021 incident. However, they returned a “not guilty” verdict on a third charge of unlawful imprisonment, FOX 13 Seattle reports.
Taylor told police that the incident began when Wheeler demanded she “bow down” to him. When she refused, he became enraged and choked her to the point of unconsciousness. When she awoke, Wheeler allegedly expressed surprise that she was still alive.
“He stood up. And he told me to bow down. And I asked him why. And he didn’t respond. He just told me to bow down again. And I told him no. And he immediately grabbed my neck. And that’s when things began,” Taylor told ‘CBS This Morning’ in 2021.
“I had touched my face. And I looked down, and there was, there’s blood on my hand. . . I remember getting up and running to the bathroom. Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway. And he was sipping his smoothie and was, like, ‘Wow, you’re, you’re still alive.'”
Prior to Wheeler’s Friday sentencing, Taylor expressed a relief that justice was about to be served.
Sending Chad to prison tomorrow! I appreciate everyone that has supported me and the legal process to make this happen! It’s been a long road but we are finally here and finally receiving justice! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Alleah taylor (@alleah_taylor1) February 29, 2024
Wheeler claims to suffer from bipolar disorder and said he was experiencing a “manic episode” at the time of the assault, which left Taylor hospitalized.
The 30-year-old Wheeler signed with the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent out of USC in 2017. He spent two-plus seasons with the team before signing with the Seahawks in October of 2019. He was waived in January of 2021 following his arrest for the attack on Taylor.
