SEATTLE (BN24) — Sha’Carri Richardson, the reigning 100-meter world champion, was arrested last weekend at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport following an alleged domestic incident involving fellow U.S. sprinter Christian Coleman, authorities said.
Richardson, 25, was taken into custody Sunday on a fourth-degree domestic violence offense, according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press. She was booked at the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) jail in Des Moines, Washington, at 6:54 p.m. and released the following day at 1:13 p.m.
The incident occurred just days before Richardson competed Thursday in the opening round of the women’s 100 meters at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. As the defending world champion, she holds an automatic berth to the 2025 World Athletics Championships scheduled for September in Tokyo.
According to the police report, a Transportation Security Administration supervisor alerted an officer to a confrontation between Richardson and Coleman at the airport. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Richardson grabbing Coleman’s backpack with her left hand and yanking it away. She then appeared to obstruct his path, with Coleman being pushed into a wall during the exchange. At one point, Richardson allegedly threw an object, possibly a pair of headphones, in Coleman’s direction.
The officer’s report noted that Coleman declined to cooperate with the investigation and refused to be listed as a victim.
USA Track and Field acknowledged the reports in a brief statement but declined to comment. Richardson’s agent did not respond to requests for comment.
Richardson has been one of track and field’s most prominent and polarizing figures in recent years. After winning the 100-meter world title in Budapest in 2023, she helped lead Team USA to Olympic gold in the women’s 4×100-meter relay and secured a silver medal in the 100 meters at the Paris Games.
She previously made headlines in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana following her victory at the U.S. Olympic Trials, a result that barred her from competing at the Tokyo Olympics that year.
The recent arrest has raised new questions surrounding Richardson’s future with Team USA and her status heading into the global track season. Legal proceedings related to the incident remain ongoing.
