Report: Richie Incognito told police government officials are tracking him
Richie Incognito was detained by police for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation following an incident at a gym on Wednesday, and you can understand why when you read what he allegedly told an officer.
A police report obtained by Andy Slater of 940-AM WINZ details an officer’s description of the interaction he had with Incognito after he was called to the scene at Lifetime Fitness in Boca Raton. Incognito had been accused of throwing a tennis ball and a weight at another patron who claimed he noticed how angry the 34-year-old was and offered some words of encouragement. According to the officer, Incognito later explained that he was paranoid about government officials tracking him.
Here’s the full report, with a transcription of the relevant portion below.
NEW DETAILS: Richie Incognito thought government officials were tracking and recording him, police say. Full report below. pic.twitter.com/CQEsCMBeJf
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) May 24, 2018
“I asked Incognito to tell me what was going on. Incognito stated he was just training and that, ‘There’s a guy walking around with headphones on. I’m running NSA class level 3 documents through my phone. I can’t have anybody in blue tooth capability of me or taking pictures of me.’ I asked Incognito to tell me about his phone and the government’s involvement but he told me he couldn’t talk about it because he was under contract and asked who I was under contract with. When I asked why the government was trying to watch him Incognito told me I didn’t have high enough clearance.”
The officer described Incognito’s speech pattern as “very erratic” and said he kept changing the subject during their conversation. He also noted that the former Bills lineman’s hands were shaking and that he said he took an over the counter supplement called “Shroom Tech.”
“Incognito denied hitting anyone with tennis balls or the weight sled,” the officer wrote. “When I explained my concerns to Incognito that he was a danger to others and felt he might injure somebody he suddenly stood and asked a woman in the swimming pool to call the FBI.”
An investigation determined that Incognito was in an altered, paranoid state and believed he was being watched by government officials, which is why he was taken into custody under the provisions of the Baker Act. This is not the first time Incognito was held for a psychiatric evaluation.
Incognito said last month that he has decided to retire from football, but a recent report indicated he told the Bills he wants to play elsewhere in 2018. Incognito, of course, was at the center of the Jonathan Martin bullying scandal a few years back. That situation found its way back into the news earlier this offseason when Martin was arrested for threatening Incognito and others in a disturbing social media post.
According to a report from TMZ, Incognito’s friends have been concerned about him for months and want to get him help.