Devastated family of late Dallas Cowboys man Marshawn Kneeland blame cops for his death: 'I truly think they killed him'

A distraught relative of tragic NFL star Marshawn Kneeland has sensationally blamed police for effectively ‘killing’ the rising Dallas Cowboys star in an exclusive Daily Mail interview.

Jasmine Kneeland revealed her beloved first cousin had been due at a planned family reunion this week in Michigan, days after the jubilation of notching his first NFL touchdown on Monday.

But the 24-year-old defensive end shot himself after crashing his car and fleeing on foot following a Wednesday night police chase near Frisco, Texas, when he refused to pull over for a violation. Police discovered his bloodied body in a porta-potty near a building.

‘I truly think they killed him, I truly do,’ said the 33-year-old cousin at her house in Kneeland’s home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. ‘Because why else would he run for his life then kill himself in a porta-potty.

Speaking as if Kneeland were still alive, she fought tears as she continued: ‘Marshawn is not a violent person. He is not a hot head. Something here is just not right. Something made him really scared and he ran.

'This is nothing like him at all. He loves his family. He’s like a big kid. He likes making TikTok videos of the little ones in our family, he likes being around them a lot. He was generous with them, always buying stuff.

'I mean, why would he do something like that all of a sudden? That’s not the person I know. Our family is utterly devastated.’

She added: ‘We had this big reunion planned this week at the home where he grew up. We do that kind of thing. All the children come, all the family come together.

‘We eat, we laugh, we pray together. Everybody’s so proud of Marshawn. He’s come such a long way and there was such love for him.

'He was supposed to be here with us in Grand Rapids. Not dead after a police chase.’

Kneeland – who scored his touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals – sent his family a group text saying ‘goodbye’ during the drama involving Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, according to a police audio dispatch.

The two-minute segment also revealed his 22-year-old girlfriend Catalina Mancera warned cops he had a gun and she feared he would kill himself

‘We’re talking to the girlfriend… she’s saying he’s armed and has a history of mental illness and her quote was “he will end it all,” the dispatcher said in the audio obtained by TMZ Sports.

Frisco Police Department said in a statement: ‘After losing visual of the vehicle, troopers located it minutes later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway.’ It added the driver ran away.

The tragic star’s uncle Preston Kneeland told the Daily Mail he was not aware of any history of mental illness, despite the words in the police dispatch.

And he shut down online speculation that drugs might have been involved in the tragedy.

’There’s been social media garbage about drugs, but I can tell you Marshawn hated drugs, absolutely hated them,’ he said. ‘He never smoked, he never touched alcohol and he disliked prescription medicine. He would always try to find a natural way to treat things.'

Details of the weapon Kneeland used to kill himself are not known. His uncle confirmed the player had a permit to carry in Michigan.

At the modest single-family home where the tragic star grew up and where he was expected for a joyful reunion, his 66-year-old grandmother Regina Kneeland could hardly speak because of her grief. But she did say: 'There’s still an investigation going on.’

Kneeland’s girlfriend Catalina, a budding entrepreneur building a business making sports apparel, has been by his side for three years, we can reveal.

From Kalamazoo, Michigan, she was down in Texas when Kneeland killed himself. 'She comes to the family gatherings too,’ said the cousin Jasmine. ‘But she’s very, very quiet. She was always with him before he became well known.'

Kneeland was haunted by the loss of his mother Wendy who died aged just 45 in February last year from an accidental drug overdose at her home in Buckeye, Arizona.

A medical examiner found oxycodone and morphine in her system, alongside anti-depressants and muscle relaxants.

He poured out his grief at her funeral in Wyoming, Michigan, saying: ‘It’s crazy, growing up she was always there for me, always going to all my games, always there for me.

‘It’s definitely tough… it tore me apart… I can feel her presence. I know she’s still watching over me. I try to be as strong, as much as I can.’

Close family who spoke with the Daily Mail said it is not yet known if his funeral will be at the same church as his mother’s.

There were subtle signs of his singularity and possible inward focus while at college, according to a former roommate at Western Michigan University.

Patrick Grange said: 'He hung out with his girlfriend, he played video games, he watched films and played football. That's what he did, like he was not into anything else.

'He didn't party, he didn't go out. Like he was strictly about his family and about football.'

Grange hailed his late friend as a 'selfless human being, a great team leader and mentor' who let him live with him for two months without charging him a dollar in rent.

He also highlighted Kneeland’s love of 'video games and anime' [Japanese animation], with one of the football star's tattoos offering a potential insight into a troubled soul.

The player had an ink of an anime character called Shigeo Kagewama, nicknamed Mob, from the Japanese cartoon series Mob Psycho 100.

The show tells the story of the titular character's struggle to find happiness.

Mob is described as a 'powerful psychic who represses his emotions to keep his powers from getting out of control.’.

Over the course of the series, he is eventually able to come to terms with the emotions that frequently roil him and grow as a person.

Kneeland’s family issued an emotional joint statement shortly after his death, remembering him as a 'devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend’.

'We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief,' they said.

'As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field – as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend.

'He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love. His light shone brightly in every life he touched, and his spirit will continue to live on through the countless hearts he inspired.

'We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends, fans, and the community.’

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, whose brother took his own life in 2020, mourned Kneeland hours after the shock news, saying: ‘It’s been a very tough day. It’s a tragic loss. I hurt.

'Heavy, heavy, heavy hurt for Marshawn. i hurt for his family. I hurt for his girlfriend. I hurt for every single one of my teammates.

‘This is pain you don’t wish on anybody…. you wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through.'

For help and support contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988