Cameron Sutton, the former Detroit Lions player, handed himself into police on Sunday night after avoiding arrest for over three weeks on allegations of domestic battery by strangulation.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office released video of Sutton going into custody in handcuffs at Oreint Road Jail on Sunday night. Police had been looking for him since March 7.
‘After weeks of evading law enforcement, this man has finally made the right choice to turn himself in,’ sheriff Chad Chronister said. ‘Domestic violence has no place in our community, and no one is above the law here in Hillsborough County.
‘My thoughts are with this woman as she continues to heal from this man’s gruesome actions.’
The Lions signed Sutton, 29, last year on a three-year, $33million deal but cut him when news of his arrest warrant emerged.
Cam Sutton turned himself in to police on Sunday night after nearly a month on the run
Police had been trying to find the former Detroit Lion man, 29, since March 7
Lions president and CEO Rod Wood revealed last week that Sutton was at the team’s workout facility when the warrant for his arrest started circulating online.
Wood said he did not speak with Sutton directly, but members of his staff did, advising him to turn himself into police.
‘We learned about the warrant the same time everyone else did on social media. And we were able to speak with Cam because he was actually in our building,’ Wood said last Monday.
‘We found him, he was down with our strength staff, kind of showed up unexpectedly to work out.
‘He left the building and we released him the next day and no one has spoken with him since.’
Sutton has played six seasons in the NFL and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Lions.
Police received a call relating to alleged incident involving the NFL player at around 4:35am on March 7 in Hillsborough County, according to quotes obtained by Detroit News from the Sheriff’s Office.
‘We tried to make contact with (Sutton),’ public affairs official Phil Martello is quoted as saying. ‘We’ve called him, no answer. He’s been ducking us. Our deputies have exhausted all leads here.
‘He’s got vehicles and a home in a county one over from us and he’s not been there and we’ve not been able to catch him there.
‘So, again, it seems like he’s turned his phone off or gotten rid of his phone or something because we haven’t been able to get ahold of him.’
In his first season in Detroit, he started all 20 regular and postseason games as the Lions made it all the way to the NFC Championship game.
The Georgia-born star posted 65 tackles, an interception, one forced fumble and six passes defensed in his 17 regular-season starts, while adding eight tackles and breaking up three passes in three playoff starts.