Athlete and Olympic gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested on domestic violence assault charges against her boyfriend and fellow athlete Christian Coleman. She is accused of continuously shoving him and throwing a pair of headphones at her boyfriend.
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According to a police report obtained by Let’s Run, the incident occurred on Sunday, July 27, at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. At around 5:54 p.m., a Port of Seattle Police Department officer responded to a TSA checkpoint following a disturbance report.
Upon arrival at the scene, the officer talked with Coleman, who was reluctant to speak, according to the report. The man told the officer that he and Richardson had gotten into an argument that became “heated,” but he refused to elaborate on what that meant exactly.
After detailing that he had been in a relationship with Richardson for two years, Coleman said that nothing physical had occurred.
“He declined to provide his name and did not wish to provide me his identification. It appears he was refusing any further cooperation.”
The officer later described reviewing video footage that showed the verbal altercation previously described. The report detailed that it occurred as Richardson and Coleman exited through a security screening.
As they exited the area, Richardson is allegedly shown “following and getting close to Coleman several times.” Coleman appears to be trying to walk away from her, as per the video described in the report.
Alleged Assault
At one point, Richardson allegedly pushed Coleman, sending him “crashing into a nearby column.” However, as per the report, Coleman just kept walking away from Richardson. The woman then allegedly continued to bump into him and get “into his personal space.”
Moments later, Richardson allegedly pushed Coleman a second time, sending him flying “a few feet away.” The reporting officer wrote that Coleman then appeared to get help by returning to the TSA screening lanes. However, Richardson allegedly continued following the man and threw a pair of headphones at him, striking him.
After probable cause was developed, Richardson was arrested on fourth-degree domestic violence assault. Coleman, meanwhile, “declined to be a victim” and refused to press charges.
Sha’Carri Richardson, a track and field sprinter, won gold in the 4 x 100 relay during the 2024 Paris Olympics, as well as silver in the 100 meters.
As reported by Olympics.com, following the news of her arrest, she withdrew from the 100m during the USA Track & Field Championships 2025 on Friday, August 1. She originally withdrew from the 200m, but later re-entered the competition. She missed out on the women’s 200m final by 0.01 seconds on Sunday, August 3.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.