Broncos coach arrested in Denver on suspicion of assaulting a police officer
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – Broncos linebacker coach Michael Wilhoite has been arrested in Denver on suspicion of second degree assault of a police officer at the Denver International Airport (DIA), our Denver news partners report.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by our Denver affiliates, a police officer stationed on curb assignment at DIA saw Wilhoite pull into the departure area and leave his Ford Bronco unattended. When he returned, the officer informed him that he couldn't leave his vehicle unattended on the airport curb.
According to our Denver news partners, Wilhoite then told the officer to "shut the (expletive) up."
After a second warning, Wilhoite approached the officer and bumped his chest into him, causing the officer to take a step back. The officer responded by shoving Wilhoite back, which is when Wilhoite punched him, according to the probable cause statement obtained by our Denver affiliates.
Wilhoite was booked into the Denver downtown jail on Sunday and is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning. According to the NFL, he was not allowed bond.
A Broncos spokesperson tells our Denver affiliates that they are aware of the situation and are "in the process of gathering more information."
38-year-old Wilhoite joined the Broncos' staff as a linebackers coach prior to the 2023 season.
Before coming to Denver, he played as a linebacker for five years for the San Francisco 49ers from 2012-16 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2017. Payton then hired Wilhoite onto his coaching staff as a special teams assistant for the New Orleans Saints in 2019-20 before he was hired as a linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021-22.
