By Kennedy Nalyanya
SEATTLE — Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested on Sunday at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) following a reported physical altercation with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman. Richardson was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault, according to police reports obtained by multiple news outlets.
The incident, which occurred on July 27, was captured on airport security footage reviewed by Port of Seattle police. According to a police report, the video allegedly shows Richardson and Coleman in a heated verbal argument that escalated physically. Richardson is seen repeatedly pushing Coleman, causing him to fall into a column, and later throwing a pair of headphones at him as he attempted to walk away and seek help from airport staff.
Richardson was booked into the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) jail in Des Moines, Washington, and was released the following day. Despite the evidence from the security footage, Coleman reportedly told police he did not want to press charges and "declined to be a victim." As a result, the case was cleared.
Neither Richardson nor Coleman has made a public statement about the incident.
The arrest took place just days before both athletes were scheduled to compete in the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Richardson, who holds an automatic spot on Team USA for the World Championships in Tokyo as the reigning 100m world champion, competed in her first-round heat. However, she later withdrew from the 100m semifinals and has also opted out of the 200m race. Coleman, who also advanced in his events, continued to compete.
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