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MINNESOTA
Before we get to the news involving RB DALVIN COOK, this from Daniel Jeremiah:
@MoveTheSticks
Kirk Cousins in on pace for these numbers:
4,280 yards, 32 TD, 4 INT & 68.2% completion
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Either RB DALVIN COOK was the victim of a home invasion that he resisted – or he beat up a woman. ESPN.com:
Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook allegedly abused a former girlfriend, causing a concussion, during an altercation at his home last year, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported, citing a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The newspaper reported that the woman filed a lawsuit in Dakota County District Court, accusing Cook of assault, battery and false imprisonment.
However, Cook’s attorney, Dave Valentini, said his client was assaulted by the woman after she broke into his residence, saying in a statement Tuesday night that she later tried to extort him of millions of dollars.
The Vikings released a statement saying they “recently received notification from Dalvin Cook’s legal representative regarding a situation that occurred between Dalvin and a female acquaintance in November 2020 and led to an ongoing dispute between the parties. Upon learning of this, we immediately notified the NFL. We are in the process of gathering more information and will withhold further comment at this time.”
In a separate statement, the NFL said it was notified by the Vikings of the matter and would decline further comment.
The woman identified herself as Gracelyn Trimble, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, to the Star Tribune. The newspaper said that, according to the lawsuit, she flew to Minnesota to break up with Cook and get her belongings from his home when things allegedly turned violent.
She accused Cook of giving her “a concussion, leaving a scar on my face and taking me through hell,” according to the Star Tribune. The newspaper said that, according to the suit, she used Mace on him before going into his bedroom, grabbing his gun and calling a friend for help, leading the running back to attack her with a broomstick, she alleged.
When she returned to Florida after the altercation, she told medical personnel she had been in an ATV accident after seeking treatment for the injuries.
Valentini, however, said in his statement Tuesday that the woman allegedly used a stolen garage door opener to enter his home illegally and then attacked him and a guest there, using Mace on him upon entering and forcing Cook and his guests to remain at the residence at gunpoint for hours.
Cook’s lawyer alleged that Trimble has been attempting to extort money from Cook ever since.
No criminal charges were filed, and police were not contacted at the time of the altercation.
This tweet sums up the Cook viewpoint:
@BrettKollmann
Alright so let me get this straight.
Someone broke into Dalvin Cook’s home, he defended himself and beat their ass, and then they tried to extort him for injuries sustained?
Really?
This –
Per the lawsuit obtained by NFL Media, Trimble and Cook met “sometime around 2018” in Florida, where Trimble was serving in the Army. After that meeting, the two proceeded to engage in an on-again-off-again relationship “which involved traveling between Florida and Minnesota.”
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According to Trimble’s lawsuit, she flew to Minnesota on Nov. 19. Trimble had a garage door opener to Cook’s residence already with her and upon entering his garage “she grabbed the mace she stored in the garage to defend herself as she feared what Cook may do while she packed up her belongings and removed them from the residence.”
So she admits she entered the home unannounced through the purloined garage door opener. And it does not sound like she was ever a “resident” of the home.
Mike Florio talked to agent Hiller, who added a few items:
We spoke to Hiller. Here’s what he told PFT by phone.
Roughly a year ago, someone unlawfully entered Cook’s house. The female who did it, is a sergeant in the U.S. military, attacked Cook in his home while he had a guest present. The invader then allegedly tried to extort Cook for millions of dollars, claiming that she suffered injuries during the course of the attack that she allegedly initiated.
Because she allegedly entered Cook’s house illegally, he had the right to defend himself, as authorized by Minnesota’s version of the Castle Doctrine. Litigation, per Hiller, has not yet been commenced, but it’s in the process of being initiated. No criminal complaints have been filed in connection with the incident.
Cook may have had two “guests” in the home, certainly one. Their testimony would seem to be important.
What time of day was this? It was a Thursday and Cook would have been at work during the day. If all she wanted was the retrieval of items, and already had a means of entry, why not go into the house while he was at practice? And send him a text to break up later?
The events happened on a Thursday. Did Cook not mention them to anyone with the Vikings the next day?
Despite the making, he ran for 115 yards and caught passes for 45 more on Sunday against the Cowboys.
Cook should be wary, we remember when Panthers DE Greg Hardy was punished at the hands of NFL Justice for attempting to get an unwanted visitor out of his home.
Here is a lurid version based on Trimble’s complaint – although we note she kept jumping into the shower at Cook’s home between assaults:
Trimble claims Cook had gotten her pregnant, but she suffered a miscarriage — and while in the hospital dealing with it all, she says Cook was cheating on her.
Trimble says that led to “physically violent argument” between the two, where she claims Cook pushed her — resulting in their break up.
But, Trimble says less than 3 months later, they rekindled their romance and started living together in Florida … and also shared space in Minnesota, where Cook was living during the Vikings’ season.
Trimble, though, says in mid-November, the two got into an argument at the Mall of America, and when they returned home, Cook punched her and threw her to the ground.
Because of Cook’s alleged history of violence, Trimble says she stored mace in his garage.
Shortly after, the altercation Trimble says she then learned Cook was again cheating on her … so she decided to confront him, gather her things and end the relationship.
On Nov. 19, 2020, Trimble claims in the docs she entered Cook’s home through the garage, grabbed the mace and headed inside to pack up her belongings.
Inside the home, Trimble claims she asked Cook for help packing up her belongings — but he got mad, “grabbed her arm, and slung her whole body over the couch, slamming her face into the coffee table and causing her lower forehead and the bridge of her nose to bust open and start gushing blood.”
Trimble claims she then attempted to defend herself by macing Cook, but he overpowered her, and the mace primarily got in her eyes.
After briefly going outside, Trimble says she went upstairs and attempted to take a shower in order to wash the mace out of her eyes — but she claims she was again confronted by Cook … saying the NFL star picked her up and slammed her on the floor. She claims she hit the corner of a bed in the room, which caused a deep gash on her arm.
Trimble claims Cook then pinned her to the ground and told her she was “going to die.” She then claims Cook punched and choked her and the grabbed a gun and pointed it at her head “all while yelling death threats.”
Trimble says in the docs Cook eventually put the gun down, but kept her pinned to the ground.
The woman says Cook let her up — and she was able to get into the shower to try to wash the blood off of her. But, she says their violent altercation continued after she finished in the bathroom.
Trimble says she went downstairs and her and Cook began to argue again — before she claims Dalvin began beating her with a broomstick.
“Despite having been a solider in active combat,” the documents read, “where she had missiles and bullets fired at her, Trimble feared for her life like she had never before.”
Trimble claims the beating continued as she attempted to crawl away from Cook to get help, but she says Cook would not let her go.
Trimble claims despite begging Cook to call police or an ambulance, he held her against her will for hours — before eventually taking her to the airport.
After returning to Florida, Trimble says she didn’t initially go to the hospital because she wanted to protect Cook … but on Nov. 25, after she claims she realized her injuries were severe, so she went to the emergency room.
While there, she says she told doctors she was in an ATV accident … and they diagnosed her with a concussion and “several deep cuts and bruising.”
Trimble claims Cook profusely apologized after the incident, but they did not see each other for about a month until a death in Cook’s family — which she claims brought the couple back together.
But, Trimble says the relationship eventually broke down again — and they called things off.
Florio, as is his custom on things legal, weighs in:
Many things will never be clear about the interactions between Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and Gracelyn Trimble, a former girlfriend who got into an altercation with Cook last November. Here’s one thing that is clear. No amount of effort by Cook’s lawyer or agent to downplay or defuse the situation will make it all go away quickly and summarily.
Last night, agent Zac Hiller tried to get ahead of the situation by spoon-feeding a self-serving contention to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweeted this: “Minnesota Vikings’ RB Dalvin Cook is the victim of domestic abuse and extortion — there’s pending litigation, according to his agent Zac Hiller.”
It was vague and confusing and frankly bizarre. Minutes later, Hiller called me to elaborate. He went on the record, and he provided more details as to the contentions that Cook is making about an unlawful entry into his home, a subsequent physical struggle, and a contention that he’s now the victim of extortion.
In hindsight, it’s obvious that Hiller was trying to get ahead of the story, to paint a favorable picture as to Cook’s alleged innocence. And that’s fine for him to try. It’s also more than fine for us to now explain, after the fact, that this is exactly what he was doing.
The “pending litigation” isn’t something that was filed by Cook. It was filed by Trimble, against Cook. (Hiller insisted on Tuesday night that a lawsuit has not yet been filed.)
Both sides will have the right to make their contentions and allegations in court. Without a settlement, a jury eventually will have to figure it all out. The NFL could get involved, too, investigating the situation under the personal-conduct policy and, if a violation is found, imposing discipline.
Even with Schefter’s misleading tweet blasted to a massive audience that he actively uses to persuade people like Zac Hiller to go to Schefter first, that won’t be enough to get the league or the court system to look the other way. Cook has the right to make his allegations, and Trimble has the right to make hers. The facts ultimately will determine the outcome in court and, possibly, the outcome before the Commissioner. |
