Former Detroit Lions player Cameron Sutton turned himself in to police Sunday night after avoiding arrest for more than three weeks on allegations of domestic battery by strangulation.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office released video of Sutton being detained and handcuffed at the Oreint Road Jail Sunday night. Police had been searching for him since March 7.
“After weeks of evading law enforcement, this man finally made the right decision 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 recover from this man’s horrific actions.”
The Lions signed Sutton, 29, last year to a three-year, $33 million contract but cut him when news of his arrest warrant emerged.
Cam Sutton turned himself in to police Sunday night after nearly a month on the run.
Lions president and CEO Rod Wood revealed last week that Sutton was at the team’s training facility when the arrest warrant began circulating online.
Wood said he did not speak directly to Sutton, but members of his staff did and advised him to turn himself in to police.
‘We found out about the order at the same time as everyone else on social media. And we were able to talk to Cam because she was actually in our building,” Wood said last Monday.
‘We found him, he was downstairs with our strength staff, he turned up unexpectedly to exercise.
“He left the building and we released him the next day and no one has spoken to 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 regarding an alleged incident involving the NFL player around 4:35 a.m. on March 7 in Hillsborough County, according to quotes obtained by Detroit News from the Sheriff’s Office.
“We tried to contact (Sutton),” public affairs officer Phil Martello said. ‘We have called him, there is no answer. She’s been avoiding us. Our helpers have exhausted all leads here.
‘He has vehicles and a home in a county close to ours and he hasn’t been there and we haven’t been able to catch him there.
“So again, it looks like he turned off his phone or got rid of it or something because we haven’t been able to contact him.”
In his first season in Detroit, he started all 20 regular and postseason games as the Lions reached the NFC championship game.
The Georgia-born star recorded 65 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and six passes defensed in his 17 regular-season starts, while adding eight tackles and three pass breakups in three playoff starts.
