Close
  • NFL player was held at gunpoint, ordered to ground, and handcuffed while picking up daughter at airport
  • Lawsuit alleges officers' actions were unjustified and disproportionate, causing emotional distress
  • Police mistakenly pursued player's car, despite description not matching him or his daughter
Wesley Leasy
Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty

BOSSIP previously reported on this abuse of police power, and today there is an update.

Former Arizona Cardinals player Wesley Leasy has filed a lawsuit stemming from an April 10, 2025, incident with Phoenix police that he says was a violent and unjustified. According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Leasy was held at gunpoint, ordered to the ground, and handcuffed when he was picking up his daughter from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The legal complaint accuses law enforcement of wrongdoing, including claims that the officers’ actions were unjustified and disproportionate to the situation at hand. He alleges that he was treated aggressively despite not posing a threat, and that the incident left a lasting impact on both him and his daughter, who witnessed the confrontation. The lawsuit seeks damages related to injuries, emotional distress, and alleged violations of his civil rights.

“I’m in a very precarious situation,” Leasy said, addressing the distressing situation. “I know my life is in danger, but I know that my daughter, on the other side of me, is becoming unstable. She doesn’t know what’s going on. My daughter’s hysterically crying.

“There’s at least 10 guys with their guns pulled out, and there are lasers now pointing at you, machine guns, heavy, not a handgun. You’re thinking the very worst that somebody’s going to shoot you at this point. You don’t know why, or they think you’re going for a weapon, and you kid and yourself is going to be killed right here on the spot.”

Leasy had previously filed legal action against both the Mesa and Phoenix Police Departments seeking $2 million in damages for the emotional distress of both him and his daughter.

Sadly, this case is much like many others that BOSSIP has covered, where police are too inept, or racist, to properly identify suspects that they are chasing. In this case, officers said that they were in pursuit of a white Mercedes-Benz that was supposedly linked to a man involved in a shooting. That vehicle was being followed by a helicopter but was lost at the airport. Once officers spotted Leasy’s Mercedes, they re-engaged under the premise that his car was the suspect.

However, here’s the infuriating part, the man police were after was described as “a young Caucasian male with tattoos on his neck and face” none which describe Leasy or his daughter in the slightest.

We hope this brotha takes a lot more than $2 million.

Stories From Our Partners