4 days ago
31
Fresh details about the night of Dallas Cowboys star Marshawn Kneeland's death have emerged after he died by apparent suicide earlier this month.
The NFL defensive end was discovered dead with a self-inflicted gunshot in the early hours of November 6 at the age of 24 after being pursued by officers who had attempted to conduct a traffic stop in suburban Dallas, close to the Cowboys' training facility.
Now, the Texas police's frantic search for Kneeland, including the moment his pregnant girlfriend was placed in handcuffs, has been unveiled in body and dash cam video obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
The footage shockingly revealed that Catalina Mancera, Kneeland's girlfriend, was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after she arrived at the scene of officer's desperate hours-long search amid her fears for her boyfriend and his mental health.
About an hour earlier at around 10:35pm, Texas State Troopers began to pursue Kneeland's vehicle.
Officers initially unaware that the driver they were pursuing was Kneeland. After a search of the vehicle's identification number revealed it was owned by the NFL player, they presumed it to have been stolen.
Marshawn Kneeland was reportedly caught driving at nearly 150mph on the night of his death
Kneeland, pictured with his girlfriend Catalina Mancera, died this month in an apparent suicide
Yet, around 10 minutes after losing site of the battle, Kneeland crashed into a pickup and he fled on foot, sparking the widespread search that included K-9 sniffer dogs, drones and even Texas state troopers firing pepper balls into drainage tunnels.
Kneeland's vehicle, which he said to have been driving at speeds higher than 145mph, ended up in a grassy area beside the tollway in Frisco near an office park area with office buildings, businesses and apartments.
Troopers said an empty holster was found underneath the driver's seat of Kneeland's car.
Still unaware that the man they were pursuing was Kneeland, officers searched the shopping complex before being led to a wooded area by a K-9. Shortly after 11:30pm, they then narrowed in on a culvert, a closed pipe that helps manage the flow of water.
'Frisco K-9. If you're in this tunnel, I'm going to send my dog in here. He is going to bite you. This is your last opportunity,' a Frisco officer said.
Authorities later fired pepper balls into the tunnels and sent a drone into them, but did not find Kneeland inside.
Meanwhile, Kneeland's girlfriend Catalina Mancera had driven to the scene of the search area. She is captured on footage telling police he was armed, had a history of mental illness and would 'end it all.'
She was then placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a squad car, as they searched her vehicle for Kneeland.
More to follow.
