Former NFL player and Superbowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien has been arrested in a domestic violence incident in Spokane, Washington. On Sunday, June 30, 2019, police arrested Rypien for allegedly hitting his wife Danielle in the stomach during an argument in their car. Danielle bailed Rypien out of jail on Monday and Tuesday, Rypien and Danielle released a joint statement saying that Rypien had not committed a crime. Rypien's attorney says that during the incident, Rypien was merely trying to remove Danielle's hands from covering his eyes. The Rypiens also stated that this incident was not related to Rypien's chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) condition. 

In 2017 Mark Rypien was involved in another domestic violence situation with Danielle, but that time it was Danielle who was arrested (misdemeanor charges against her were later dropped). During that incident, Danielle was thrown onto a bed a few times after Rypien became irritated by her asking “too many questions.” Rypien's CTE medication had recently been changed, and the couple said the change led to his behavior. Danielle claimed that at the time, she did not tell the police the entire true story of what had happened. She said, 

I didn't see any good coming from that. If they had locked Mark up, what's that going to do? Lock up someone who's on a medication? If he were doing this all the time, that would be different. This was a fluke thing.

Rypien has said that his CTE condition has caused him to become depressed and prone to violent or erratic behavior.

CTE and Its Effects

CTE can be caused by multiple concussions and has been a topic of conversation in the NFL world for the last decade. CTE is a degenerative disease that leads to memory loss, mood disorders, dementia, and other brain-related issues. Unfortunately, CTE can only be definitively proved with an autopsy of the brain, but in a recent study of 111 brains donated by former NFL players, 110 had CTE. 

In 2013, Rypien was a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NFL that involved 4,500 other former players who say they have CTE. The former players were awarded a $765 million settlement. Rypien said that his part of the settlement would allow him to seek treatment for his CTE that he had previously been unable to afford.

Washington's Law in Domestic Violence Incidents

Washington's law states that officers are mandated to make an arrest without a warrant when called to a domestic violence situation, even if there is little or no proof that a crime has been committed:

(6)(a) When a peace officer responds to a domestic violence call and has probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed, the peace officer shall exercise arrest powers with reference to the criteria in RCW 10.31.100. The officer shall notify the victim of the victim's right to initiate a criminal proceeding in all cases where the officer has not exercised arrest powers or decided to initiate criminal proceedings by citation or otherwise. The parties in such cases shall also be advised of the importance of preserving evidence.

Domestic Violence Attorney Steve Karimi

A former prosecutor, Steve Karimi now defends those accused of crimes in the Seattle area. If you or someone you know faces domestic violence allegations and you know there are extenuating circumstances involved – such as a medical condition like CTE – contact the Law Offices of Steve Karimi at (206) 621-8777 today for a free consultation.