PORT OF SEATTLE—Sha’Carri Richardson, the reigning world champion in the women’s 100 meters and an Olympic gold medalist, was arrested on Wednesday, July 27, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport following an alleged domestic violence incident involving her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman.
According to police reports, the altercation began as a verbal argument after the couple passed through a TSA checkpoint, escalating when Richardson allegedly pushed Coleman multiple times, causing him to stumble into a column, and then threw a pair of headphones at him.
Security camera footage captured the event, which authorities used to substantiate the charges, allegedly show Coleman attempting to walk away while Richardson continued to engage physically.
She was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault, a misdemeanor in Washington state, booked at the South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, and released the following day, July 28.
The incident occurred just days before the USATF Outdoor Championships, leading Richardson to withdraw from the women’s 100-meter event.
As of August 2, neither Richardson nor Coleman have issued any public statements on SEA-TAC incident.
According to data from the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), approximately 1 in 3 men (about 33%) in the United States have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime, with nearly all (97%) of these male victims reporting only female perpetrators for rape, physical violence, or stalking.
Other U.S. sources, drawing from similar NISVS data, report that 1 in 4 men (28.5%) have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, with 1 in 7 men (13.8%) facing severe physical violence from a partner. Nearly half of all men (48.8%) have encountered psychological aggression from an intimate partner.
Underreporting is a key issue, as men are less likely to seek help or report due to stigma, with some estimates suggesting male victimization rates may be underrepresented by 30-40% in official data.
Author: Mario Lotmore
