Sha’Carri Richardson was reportedly arrested in Washington this week after allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, Christian Coleman, at an airport.
According to Fox 4, the couple, who have been dating for two years, were at the TSA checkpoint of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on Sunday (July 27) when Richardson, 25, allegedly struck Coleman, 29. A TSA agent shared security footage with authorities, which allegedly showed the Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter shoving Coleman and hurling a pair of headphones at him.
Richardson told police that the incident stemmed from a verbal argument that became "heated" but refused to elaborate, maintaining that the argument was purely non-physical. The athlete also denied that the disagreement had gotten physical, while Coleman, also a track and field sprinter, declined to press charges and "declined to be a victim."
Richardson was then arrested and booked into South Correctional Entity (SCORE) and was also charged with fourth-degree assault. The Dallas native, however, was released just in time for her and Coleman to compete at a track event on Thursday (July 31).
Richardson, however, withdrew from the 100-meter semifinals scheduled for the following day at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, per Oregon Live. The athlete is still scheduled to participate in the competition's 200-meter race on Sunday (August 3).
This isn't the first time that Richardson has had an airport altercation. In 2023, she was booted off an American Airlines flight after refusing to hang up her phone before the plane took off. The athlete claimed that a flight attendant was "disrespecting" her when making the request, but she was applauded by other passengers upon exiting the plane.
Just two years before, Richardson tested positive for marijuana and was disqualified from participating in the Tokyo Olympics. She apologized on NBC's TODAY, calling her marijuana usage a coping mechanism.
"I apologize for the fact that I didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time," she said. "But sitting here, I just say don't judge me because I’m human. … I just happen to run a little faster."
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