Situation at Everson Griffen's home resolves peacefully after apparent mental health incident
Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
MINNETRISTA, Minn. (FOX 9) - A situation at the home of Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffin has ended peacefully after an apparent mental health incident led to a response by local police and team staff.
The situation had been ongoing since early Wednesday morning before police announced in the afternoon that it had been resolved.
Griffen, 33, posted a disturbing video on his Instagram early Wednesday morning showing him holding a gun. The video was later deleted but followed up by screenshots of text messages to his agent asking for help and telling him to call 911, saying someone was trying to kill him. That post was also deleted.
The Minnetrista Department of Public Safety said officers and other law enforcement agencies responded to Griffen’s house around 3 a.m. after he called 911 saying someone was inside his home. He reportedly told the dispatcher he fired a weapon, but no one was injured.
No intruder was located, according to police.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer addresses Everson Griffen mental health incident
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer briefly addressed the ongoing mental health incident with defensive end Everson Griffen at Wednesday morning's press conference. The Vikings said the team's mental health professionals have been at Griffen's house since early this morning after the 33-year-old posted a disturbing video and series of screenshots on social media.
Law enforcement and Vikings team psychologists had been in communication with Griffen since 7 a.m., but he refused to come out of his home, police said.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m., the Vikings said: "Law enforcement agencies have notified us Everson Griffen came out of his home without incident and is now getting the care he needs... Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family."
The team also thanked responding agencies for "ensuring the situation ended peacefully."
Head coach Mike Zimmer briefly addressed the situation during his regularly scheduled press conference. He said he was made aware of the situation with Griffen early Wednesday morning and that he had talked to the team but could not comment further.
When asked about Griffen’s status for the game this weekend, Zimmer said, "That’s not really our concern right now. It's really about him."
"We’re only concerned about his well-being," he said. "He’s been with us a long time - good guy, works hard."
Speaking with the media, Dalvin Cook also weighed in on the situation, saying everyone was hoping for the best for Griffen.
"We're just trying to make sure he's okay," said Cook. "That's our brother first, make sure his family is okay. Make sure he gets the proper treatment and the love that he needs to get through the times that he's going through right now."
The defensive end stepped away for several games in 2018 to undergo a mental health evaluation following a series of incidents that had the team concerned about his well-being.
Griffen spent his first 10 seasons in the NFL with the Vikings, rejoining the team this season after playing for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions in 2020.