Photo: Getty Images North America
Olympic sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson is breaking her silence on her domestic violence arrest.
On Monday (August 11), Richardson took to her Instagram Story to address her July 27 arrest at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, per the New York Post. Security footage showed Richardson shoving her boyfriend and fellow sprinter Christian Coleman several times.
“More than anything, definitely a lot of self-reflection, a lot of understanding of not only putting myself in a compromising situation with somebody that I have a deep care and appreciation for as well, is something that — holding myself accountable,” Richardson said in an Instagram video. “I’m taking this time to not only see myself but get myself a certain level of help that overall is going to reflect who I truly am in my heart and in my spirit and not allowing this moment, but accepting this moment to be more."
“So my only thing is, I want to be more — not just only for myself, for my family, my fans," she continued. "I overly appreciate y’all supporting me and showing love and even holding me accountable to being my best self. So more than anything, I refused to run away … but face everything that comes to me head-on because everything on the other side is greater, but you gotta go through in order to get there.”
Richardson was arrested on a fourth-degree domestic violence assault and spent roughly 19 hours at the SCORE South Correctional Entity. Coleman, 29, declined to press charges or to be identified as a "victim." The sprinter defended his girlfriend following the incident.
“For me personally, I feel like it was a sucky situation all round,” Coleman said earlier this month. “I don’t feel like she should have been arrested. I mean people have discussions and emotions and stuff like that. She has things that she needs to work on for herself, of course. So do I, so do you, so does everybody."
“But I’m the type of guy who’s in the business of extending grace, and mercy, and love. I hate the narrative too … its so negative. In the state of Seattle, even talking to the cop to whatever, he was like, ‘There is really nothing I can do.’”
“She just has a lot of things going on, a lot of emotions and forces going on inside of her that not only I can’t understand, but nobody can because she’s one of one. And I’m one of one too… She’s going to be just fine. I’m going to be good too. So, it is what it is," he added.
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