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.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.tbo.com ...
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.
Sorrow from this Skins fan.
They will also put more effort into catching the killer of the son of a local poice chief than they would if he had been the son of a janitor or cab driver. I'm not complaining, but that's the reality.
After the innumerable problems that plagued the Cincinnati Bengals with too many players getting into legal trouble, is it small wonder why during the last NFL Draft all the teams were closely looking for people with reasonably clean backgrounds?
Sad day when anyone is murdered, let's hope they catch the ones(s) who did this quickly.
Miami is a third world cesspool.
This type of crap happens all the time there.
Nothing coming out of there surprises me.
Prayers for his family.
The people who previously broke in left a machette. Then the house is broken into again and he is killed.
There is something here that we are missing.
True
The answer to your first question is that he was barred from owning a gun due to a plea agreement several years ago. Sadly, if he had used a gun and defended himself, he’d probably be looking at jail time for violating probation.
Even without his sports status they’d put a lot of resources into this crime since he’s the son of a police chief.
You’re right. I had completely forgot about that.
I’m a diehard Redskin fan, and enjoyed watching Taylor play the game. He was fast, strong, and was one of the hardest hitters I’ve ever seen play the game. But what set him apart from others was his superior intelligence on the field, his understanding of the game, and his ability to anticipate.
Capt Lewis Nixon Band of Brothers
“...being somewhat coerced into staying a “thug” or else.”
Lemme have some of that ganja you’re smoking. It’s gotta be great.
Prayers for the family.
Sheesh. Condolences to Sean Taylor’s daughter, Jackie, his girlfriend, his parents, his family, his friends, his teammates. Sheesh.
life
We have a very good alarm system but someone could still break in and kill us before the police could get here, except for the fact that we are armed with more than a machete.
All an alarm does is keep someone from sneaking up on you, our dogs would do the same thing.
Same here. Following some hopeful news about him holding the hand of a nurse late yesterday, I went to bed hoping he'd recover and we'd see him play again. Sad ending.
But anti-gun laws make you safer < /sarcasm> Once again Sara Brady and her accomplices have assisted in murdering someone - what a waste.
Or jealous boyfriend/husband. Why break through the bedroom door?
Mike
If I could not legally own a gun and had my house broken into with a knife left on my bed, I think I would invest in some big well trained dobermans/pit bulls etc to roam the residence at night. I don’t understand why it seems that he did not have more protection around him after a previous break in.
Prayers, go out to his family as it appears that he was trying to turn his life around and was not just another thug...
I guess he never saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
The girlfriend said they heard someone breaking into the house and Taylor grabbed a machete to defend himself then he was shot. So if the "perp" was surprised and shot Taylor, he would logically just flee after shooting, not stay around to collect the loot.
I also heard speculation that since he was supposed to be away at a game, the perp may have thought the house was vacant, only to find the family there.
WMAL just reported that Taylor’s fiancee is saying that the phone line was cut.
This looks like a hit of some kind, not just a robbery gone bad.
Taylor's home was broken into recently and the burglars left a knife behind as a calling card.
And the phone lines were cut in this instance.
Certainly sounds like a planned 'hit' and is probably payback for some earlier act by Taylor.
Nevertheless, what a waste.
Hail to the Redskins... RIP.
Couldn’t have a firearm due to his previous brushes with the law.
The whole pro athlete situation is sad.
The Redskins are my team and this is devastating. What a horrible tragedy. My thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP.
Yes, I went to bed under the same impression, that the worst was behind him. He had lost a lot of blood, but he had responded to the nurse in a way that suggested the chance of recovery. That’s why it is such a shock waking up to this tragic news.
I can’t help but feel that if you and I knew that Taylor was prevented by the Court from owning a firearm, from having a gun in his home, to defend his family, himself, and his property, there had to be others, in the local community, who were also aware of this. It is sad to think that had Taylor confronted the murderer with a gun, killing the intruder in the process, Taylor would have likely gone to prison.
Sad story.
Prayers for a young man who finally seemed to be getting his life turned around.
Where’s “Pac-Man”?
This appears something other than a robbery
Who was he hanging out with? What was he involved in? So far, it doesn't appear to be a random crime.
What a class act you are, sir!
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