Former NFL player Glenn Foster dies after arrest in Alabama
New Orleans Saints defensive end Glenn Foster Jr. (74) greets fans after practice before an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama authorities are investigating after former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr. died following a high-speed chase that resulted in his arrest and then a fight involving officers in the jail where he was being held.The 31-year-old former New Orleans Saints player died Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, at a medical facility in Northport, Alabama, Senior Alabama Trooper Reginal King told The Tuscaloosa News.
REFORM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama authorities are investigating after former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr. died in custody following a high-speed chase that resulted in his arrest and then a fight involving officers in the county jail where he was being held.
The death of the 31-year-old former New Orleans Saints player was reported at a medical facility Monday in Northport, Alabama, according to a statement emailed by Senior Alabama Trooper Reginal King.
While being handcuffed, Foster fought against a Pickens County deputy and a correctional officer, injuring the deputy’s nose and hand, according to court records obtained by The Associated Press.
Following his arrest, Foster had an initial court appearance before Pickens County District Judge Samuel Junkin, where he was “non-compliant and refused to respond to answer any questions” aside from demanding an attorney, the judge wrote.
Based on police observations and how Foster behaved, the judge said Foster was “not mentally stable and a danger to himself and others” and ordered him held without bond for a mental evaluation.
But what happened from that time until his death was a mystery. Few other details have been released.
Foster’s relatives say they fear officials delayed potentially life-saving care for him, despite knowing he’d been in the jail fight and might have been experiencing a mental health crisis, they told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.
“I can’t get my son back, but we want whoever is responsible to pay for this,” his mother, Sabrina Foster, told the news organization.
Foster had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was about 20 but had mostly been able to manage the illness before the arrest, Foster’s father, Glenn Foster Sr., told the news outlet. The arrest happened as his son was driving to Atlanta on business, his father said.
Foster had been arrested Sunday afternoon in the small town of Reform, Alabama, on charges of reckless endangerment and resisting arrest by “attempt to elude,” jail records show.
Foster was driving at speeds of up to 90 mph (145 kph), and led officers on a chase along a state highway that crossed into the nearby town of Gordo, whose officers joined the chase, Reform police Chief Richard Black told the New Orleans news site. Officers used a “spike strip” to flatten all four of his tires and slow the car, but he crashed into a business, Black said.
He engaged in what Black described as a “small, minor tussle” with officers but no one appeared to get hurt, Black said. He was then handcuffed and driven to the Pickens County Jail.
He was booked into jail on charges of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude police, jail records show.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement it was investigating at the request of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. No cause of death was released and Foster’s body was released to the Department of Forensic Science.
Originally from Chicago, Foster has been living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He played two seasons for the Saints as a defensive end, appearing in 17 games in 2013 and 2014.
Court records do not include the name of any attorney who might have represented Foster.
Bruce Pearl, winningest men’s basketball coach in Auburn history, announces retirement
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl announced his retirement Monday less than six months after finishing the Tigers' best season in program history with another trip to the Final Four. Pearl's 38-year-old son Steven Pearl, who has been on his father's coaching staff for all 11 seasons at Auburn, will take over as coach.
Jimmy Kimmel will be back on air on Tuesday, Disney says
The late night comic was suspended last week under pressure from the Trump administration after comments about Charlie Kirk's killing.
Unease grows at the Justice Department as Trump’s threats get even more blunt
President Trump is directing the Justice Department to prosecute his perceived political enemies, upending the career ranks and raising questions about selective prosecution.
Supreme Court allows Trump to fire — for now — remaining Democrat on FTC
At issue is whether the president has the authority to dismiss the heads of those agencies that are protected by Congress.
Climate change is delaying peak fall foliage. Here’s what to expect this year
Leaves typically start to peak in northern states by early October, but projecting peak foliage isn't an exact science. Here are some things you can do to get the most out of fall's colors.
400 entertainers co-sign ACLU letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel
Celebrities including Pedro Pascal and Selena Gomez wrote: "Our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives and entertainers."
