The saga of former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead, who was cut yesterday by the team, has taken yet another turn. The Prince William County (Virginia) Police Department has announced that Whitehead has been exonerated of the crime he has been accused of committing in a case of mistaken identity.
What was Whitehead accused of?
It came to light that Lucky Whitehead had been charged with shoplifting during a June 22 incident, shocking not only the team but the receiver himself. Supposedly, he was arrested for shoplifting and petty larceny after leaving a Wawa convenience store without paying for items.
The receiver then failed to show up to his arraignment in court for the misdemeanor crime on July 6, resulting in a failure to appear charge. Whitehead and his agent, David Rick, argued that the receiver wasn't even in the state at the time, citing flight records from the day of the alleged incident. He also did not appear in court because he never received such a notice.
How did it come to light he was innocent?
The Prince William County Police Department said in a statement the man arrested at the Wawa did not have any ID on him. However, he verbally gave police Whitehead's name, date of birth and social security number. They then checked the information through the Virgina Department of Motor Vehicles database.
Police checked the DMV photo on file with the man in custody and “acted in good faith” that at the time the man they arrested was the same man matching the information provided. They summed up by saying they are confident that in confirming that the man they arrested falsely gave Whitehead's identity.
Return to Dallas is not in the cards
The Dallas Cowboys released Lucky Whitehead hours after news of the indictment broke, saying that the pattern of Whitehead's past behavior justified moving on. A Cowboys source told ESPN's, Josina Anderson “Just time to improve the roster from an ability and team-culture standpoint”, when asked about the move.
Head coach Jason Garrett stated several times when asked about that move that, “it was in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Whitehead told the 'Dallas Morning News',“I was pretty much being called a liar” in response to how the team's management treated him. He did say that his teammates believed that he was telling the truth. His agent said that going back to Dallas would not be “a healthy move” and that 3 or 4 teams had already made calls inquiring about the receiver.
