The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday afternoon that defensive end Everson Griffen peacefully exited his home without incident and was receiving care after police and team mental health professionals responded to a 911 call made by Griffen on Wednesday morning.
Local police had spent a large portion of the day working with Griffen to get him to leave his home after responding to Griffen’s call, in which he said there was an intruder inside of his home and that he needed help. Griffen also told police during the call that he had fired a weapon, but that no one was injured.
“Law enforcement agencies have notified us Everson Griffen came out of his home without incident and is now getting the care he needs,” the Vikings said in a statement. “We are thankful to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnetrista Police Department and the Orono Police Department for their quick response and dedication to ensuring the situation ended peacefully. Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family.”
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he was present at Griffen’s residence as authorities worked to get him to exit.
“I got a call real early this morning. So once I got the call, I headed over there,” Spielman said. “I can’t tell you how fortunate we are to have the mental health team we have in place that was over there with me and to watch the law enforcement groups and how they handled the situation.”
Griffen recently had posted a series of social media posts in which he could be seen brandishing a firearm and stating that people “were trying to pop me.”
According to police, authorities were unable to locate an intruder at Griffen’s residence.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that he was informed of the situation regarding Griffen early Wednesday morning and that the team’s only concern at the moment was Griffen’s well-being.
In 2018, Griffen took a five-game leave of absence from the Vikings due to a mental health-related issue.
Griffen spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota and rejoined the Vikings this past offseason after spending the 2020 season with the Cowboys and Lions.