A former Chicago Bears All-Pro defender has been arrested in Phoenix on a murder charge, police sources said.
Michael Richardson, 59, who won a bear Super Bowl in 1985, was arrested on Wednesday on a second-degree felony charge in connection with the shooting death of Ronald Like, Tuesday. 47 years old, several police sources told KNXV.
Like, who was discovered by police at an intersection, was rushed to a critical condition hospital with a gunshot wound and then died. Phoenix police have investigated the shooting death as a homicide, the Republic of Arizona reported.
Richardson, who lives in a gated community in East Mesa, also received a murder warrant for his arrest, according to court documents cited by KNXV.
Maricopa County Jail records show that Richardson was held without charge on murder charges, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person and possession of a dangerous drug for sale. He is due to appear in court on January 6, according to the archives.
It is unclear whether Richardson hired a lawyer who could comment on the charges he faces.
Richardson, originally from Compton, California, was a starting defender for Bears’ acclaimed defense in 1985 and was named the second All-Pro team in 1986. He was also featured in the iconic Super Bowl Shuffle video. “, Reported KNXV.
“I’m LA Mike and I play great, he doesn’t sneak up on me because I’m not stupid,” Richardson rhymed to the song.
Prior to being written by Bears in 1983, Richardson was a remarkable American at Arizona State University.
Wednesday’s arrest is the latest in a series of legal issues for Richardson. He had previously been caught twice this year by Phoenix police for alleged drug possession and was arrested in Maricopa County in 2018 on charges of theft and possession of methamphetamine, crack cocaine and heroin, KNXV reported.
In 2010, ESPN reported that Richardson was released from custody and sentenced to 13 years in prison with more than 10 years after a California appellate court ruled he had not violated probation terms. a 2008 conviction for drug sales.
The incident led to Richardson’s 21st conviction on drug charges at the time – and his fifth offense in 16 years, ESPN reported.
Legal trouble for Richardson began just three years after his last NFL season in San Francisco in 1989, when he was found guilty of two felonies and sentenced to four years in prison, ESPN reported.
Richardson’s public defender, according to court transcripts, said Richardson’s “deep drug addiction” began when he was just 13 years old.