The Denver Broncos have fired the assistant coach Michael Wilhoite for his arrest last week at the Denver International Airport, where the former NFL player was accused of cursing a police officer.
“After exhaustive discussions as an organization, I met Michael Wilhoite and informed him that we have decided to separate,” said chief coach Sean Payton in a statement. 'We recognize the serious nature of the accusations against him and we believe that this is the best course of action at this time.
“I appreciate Michael's contributions to the Broncos and I am sure that he will advance in a positive direction.”
According to the Denver PostJudicial records show that Wilhoite faces a single assault position for serious crime for the incident at Denver International Airport on Sunday.
Police alleged that he led the airport lane last month before leaving his Ford Bronco, which left unemployed.
According to an affidavit, informed by the position, a uniformed officer approached Wilhoite, who told him that he could not leave his vehicle unattended.
The Denver Broncos have fired the assistant coach Michael Wilhoite for his arrest last week
It is alleged that the coach of the Denver Broncos, Michael Wilhoite.
The coach of the supporters allegedly told the officer to “close the (expletive)”, twice, before “hitting his chest” in the police.
According to the affidavit, the officer pushed Wilhoite backwards, which led Wilhoite to hit him in the face. After the police fell to the floor, and Wilhoite returned to his car, the police officer shot his taser.
It is said that he hit Wilhoite near his left hip, surprising him briefly, before the former NFL star left.
The officer was with 'visible wounds' on his knees and pain in the jaw, according to the affidavit, as cited by the Denver Post.
Wilhoite was arrested later, with a bonus established at $ 5,000. According to Denver Post, the coach's lawyer hopes to be out of jail on Monday.
The Broncos previously told 9 News Denver in a statement: “We are aware of a situation that involves Michael Wilhoite that happened on Sunday and is in the process of collecting more information.”
Wilhoite played six seasons at the NFL after being a free not recruited agent at the University of Washburn, a School of Division II in Kansas.
He had played a whole season with the Omaha Nighthawks of the former United Football League before being signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice team.
Wilhoite played in special teams for the 49ers at the Super Bowl XLVII, where the Baltimore Ravens fell.
The coach of the supporters allegedly told the officer to “close the (expletive) ''
He remained on the active list during the 2016 season. Then, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks and played his last NFL season in 2017.
Wilhoite finished his career as a player with 298 total combined cups, four interceptions and a loose ball recovery in 79 games played in six seasons.
The New Orleans Saints hired him as a special team assistant in 2019, becoming a defensive assistant in 2020.
After those two jobs, Wilhoite was hired as a supporter coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, where he helped develop players like Drue Tranquill, among others.
The chargers fired him in January 2023 and approximately a month later, the Denver Broncos hired him to join Sean Payton.