An arrest warrant has been issued by a judge in Austin, Texas for former All-Pro safety Earl Thomas, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
Police say that Thomas violated a court protective order by sending threatening messages to a woman about her and her children. Court records obtained by the American-Statesman note that the warrant was signed on April 27 charging Thomas with a third-degree felony that alleges he violated the protective order two or more times within 12 months.
As of Friday afternoon, Thomas had not been booked into the Travis County jail.
Trey Dolezal, an Austin lawyer and sports agent who is representing Thomas in an ongoing divorce, says that the warrant stems from Thomas reaching out to his wife to see their children. He added that he has sent a message to Thomas notifying him of the arrest warrant.
"They were consciously and collectively working together to see his kids," Dolezal told the the American-Statesman. "I don't really understand how he could be in violation by working together to visit with his children."
The protective order stated that Thomas was allowed to communicate with the woman only through a co-parenting phone application. The woman told police that Thomas was unwilling to download the app and instead reaches out by phone, and arrives unannounced.
More recently, Thomas is alleged to have started sending threatening text messages to the woman about her and her children. Police say that Thomas sent a text to the woman on April 18 telling her that he obtained two handguns. Later that day, he texted: "Waiting on hand in foot is why I'll kick ur ass."
The following day, police say that Thomas sent the following text messages: "I hope u in the car with him and the kids and yall drive off the road." and "Ima let my momma and my cousins poison they (their children) ass."
Nina Thomas, Earl Thomas' wife, filed for divorce in November of 2020. That came after she was arrested by police in May 2020 when they say she pointed a loaded gun at Earl Thomas' head after breaking into a vacation home and finding him with another woman.
Thomas entered the NFL as a first-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. He spent nine years with the franchise before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. In August of 2020, Thomas got into an altercation with fellow Ravens safety Chuck Clark and was eventually cut by the team after he punched Clark during practice. Just a few weeks ago, Thomas stated that he wanted to return to the NFL after a two-year hiatus.
