According to a report from ESPN's Kyle Bonagura, former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is being officially charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney on four counts of criminal threats and one count of carrying a loaded firearm on March 13. The charges are in reference to a disturbing Instagram post made on February 23 which featured a loaded gun and several rounds of live ammunition with the message "When you're a bully victim or coward, your options are revenge, or suicide.[sic]"

The post tagged four other Instagram accounts as well as Harvard Westlake, his former High School.

In response, the school closed down on February 23 as a precautionary measure to its students.

This was also posted just one week after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida in which 17 were killed by Nikolas Cruz.

Who else was Martin's post directed at?

The other Instagram accounts tagged included two who attended Harvard Westlake with Martin; James Dunleavy and T.J. Taylor. Dunleavy is the son of former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy. Taylor played on the basketball team. The remaining two accounts are those of former Dolphins offensive linemates Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey.

If you recall back to 2013, you may remember the bizarre episode of teammates Incognito and Martin, who were initially friends before their relationship degenerated into what was found to be workplace bullying and a hostile work environment in an investigation from lawyer Ted Wells.

Incognito was not the only one guilty of this, but he was found to be the one most responsible for that environment.

Pouncey and guard John Jerry were also found to have lesser roles in the harassment. Martin ended up leaving the team and Incognito was suspended and eventually released.

Martin would play for the 49ers in 2014 before retiring due to a back injury.

Apparently, his mental and psychological struggles continue to this day and have now led to legal trouble for the former lineman and personal safety concerns for many others.

Origins of the Martin-Incognito conflict

The initial 2013 ESPN story sparked a debate regarding appropriate conduct for sports locker rooms. For many years, it was believed that such talk, no matter how callous, questionable or offensive, was to remain private between teammates and not shared for public consumption.

Some questioned the toughness of Martin for being too thin-skinned to handle the general goings-on of any NFL locker room while others called out Incognito's behavior for being excessive. This is certainly not the only public incident where Incognito has been known to mock other NFL players.

The most notable example of Incognito's indiscretions against his Dolphins teammate was a voicemail he left with Martin in which he called him a "half-n***** piece of s***" and threatened to slap Martin's mother. The message also included a death threat. Incognito's intent may have been to say such things in jest, but this was not how Martin took them.

And yet, that was five long years ago. To this day, it appears Martin carries these scars with him and may still have a dangerous intention to do something about them. He has admitted after his career ended that he suffers from depression. If Martin does not get help soon, he may be a danger to far more than just his own well-being.
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