Many questions have surrounded former Chicago Bear Jeremiah Ratliff's release, but according to a police report obtained Friday, Ratliff was accused of making death threats at Halas Hall and said he was the devil.
According to multiple sources, the Bears told Ratliff to leave Halas Hall's practice facility on Oct. 21, saying he arrived in "no condition" to work.
While the exact timeline of events is unclear, a police report from that day claims Ratliff returned to the practice facility multiple times after he was told to leave.
The report claims that at some point, Ratliff told someone at the Bears facility he "felt like killing everybody in the building."
The report indicates Ratliff gathered his belongings and left without incident but returned a short time later saying he needed to get his cell phone from the locker room. While retrieving his cell phone, Ratliff allegedly told someone “I am the devil” and said he “wished staff member’s children would die,” according to the report.
Ratliff was told to leave the property and not return. The Bears then called police because they believed Ratliff was a “credible threat to staff,” adding that they believe Ratliff owned multiple firearms, the report states.
Local
Ratliff's agent, Mark Slough, said Ratliff has "no recollection or memory of saying anything that has been reported in the police report."
"Jeremiah is receiving care in Dallas for a football-related medical condition that arose out of the game on the 18th with Detroit," Slough said in a statement. "The primary focus right now is on Jeremiah’s cognitive health. I would also like to reiterate that the reports that Jeremiah showed up at Halas Hall inebriated are utterly and completely false."
Head Coach John Fox addressed the report after Friday's practice.
"Obviously we were concerned for the building and that's why the police were called," Fox said. "I think it's a personal matter. I don't think those need to be public."
An NFL spokesman confirmed to NBC Chicago the league is investigating the incident. Bears management declined to comment.
The team officially announced on Oct. 22 that they had terminated Ratliff’s contract, and they insisted Friday that the decision to release him came after the incident.
"He was a man like anybody else, there was nothing to fear," said Bears outside linebacker Lamarr Houston. "He was a great teammate. He was a great friend. He was quiet. I never realized him being belligerent with anybody or crazy, so I don't think anything like that."
Ratliff, who signed with the Bears in 2013, was suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season because of a DUI case in Texas, and he had started in two games for the Bears this season.
“We felt moving forward without Jeremiah was in the best interest of our team,” Bears G.M. Ryan Pace said in a statement. “We appreciate his contributions and wish him well.”
Fox declined to comment much further on the event.
"If you're asking me if I'm nervous, I'm not," he said.
Houston said he still supports his former teammate.
"My concern for him is that he just be able to move forward and not let this hinder the rest of his life," he said. "He has a lot of life to live and you just hope this one incident doesnt deter his life from where it was headed."
