Marshawn Kneeland's death came as a shock to the Dallas Cowboys, fans, and his family members. The 24-year-old defensive end appeared to die from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a car chase, Frisco police confirmed this week. His death was ruled a suicide. However, now Kneeland's relative has made an explosive claim, accusing police of foul play.
Kneeland's sister, his first cousin, claimed that police ‘killed him’ only days after the Cowboys star scored his first NFL touchdown, against the Arizona Cardinals.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Jasmine Kneeland revealed that her brother was going to meet her at a family reunion this week in Michigan. She added that he was ‘not a violent person’.
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“He is not a hot head. Something here is just not right. Something made him really scared and he ran.”
Only days before the Kneeland family reunion, Frisco police revealed that the 24-year-old DE shot himself after crashing his car and fleeing on foot. His bloodied body was discovered in a porta-potty near a building, officials added.
However, his cousin refuses to believe that Marshawn killed himself.
{{/usCountry}}However, his cousin refuses to believe that Marshawn killed himself.
{{/usCountry}}“I truly think they killed him, I truly do. Because why else would he run for his life then kill himself in a porta-potty?” she told Daily Mail.
Read More: Why Marshawn Kneeland was running from police. New update in Cowboys star's suicide death
'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 further added that the family had a ‘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.”
It was revealed that Kneeland sent his family a message saying ‘goodbye’ on the day of his death. His 22-year-old girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, also 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, “After losing visual of the vehicle, troopers located it minutes later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway.”