The
Minnesota Vikings informed
Everson Griffen and his agent last week that the star defensive end would not be allowed back with the team until he underwent a mental health evaluation, according to a police incident report obtained by ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
Les Pico, the Vikings' executive director of player development, told police in Minnetrista, Minnesota, that team management sent Griffen and his agent the letter on Thursday, two days before an alleged incident involving Griffen at a Minneapolis hotel.
According to the incident report, Pico told police that
Griffen had been "explosive, screaming and yelling" at the team facility and that he had been struggling in recent weeks. Vikings director of security Kim Klawiter told police that the team told Griffen not to play Sunday and to "go get his head straight." When Griffen reported to the team facility for practice Saturday, he was sent home.
Even though the Vikings want Griffen to undergo the mental health evaluation, Pico told police that Griffen has not done or said anything that led the team to believe that he is a danger to himself or others.
Pico told police that he intended to meet with Griffen on Saturday at Hotel Ivy, where Griffen had been staying. Pico told police that upon meeting Griffen at the hotel, the defensive end forgot why he wanted to speak to him and did not want to talk to him anymore.
According to a separate incident report obtained earlier Tuesday by ESPN, authorities from the Minneapolis Police Department were called Saturday to Hotel Ivy because an individual was threatening to shoot someone if he wasn't allowed in his room.
Though his name was redacted from the Hotel Ivy incident report, sources told Cronin that the individual in question at the hotel is Griffen.
Following the incident at the hotel Saturday, Griffen allegedly attempted to break in to the home of teammate Trae Waynes before climbing into a stranger's truck and being driven to his home in Minnetrista, according to an incident report.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Waynes, however, denied that Griffen attempted to break in to his home.
"To clarify, there was no attempted break-in at our home and at no point did my family or I feel unsafe. We are friends with the Griffen family and we are here to support them in any way possible during these trying times," he said.
Minnetrista Police then met with Griffen at his home. Asked by police why he went to Waynes' home, Griffen said that "God made me do it" and later agreed to go to the hospital. The reporting officer placed a health and welfare hold on Griffen "based upon his actions and information I had acquired about him."
While waiting for the ambulance to take him to the hospital, Griffen reportedly told an officer about people trying to kill him. Griffen also jumped out of the ambulance, saying he was in fear of someone shooting him, before ultimately being calmed and taken to the hospital.
Vikings ordered mental health check for Griffen