Duane Sampson
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Scott Pleads Guilty to Gross Misdemeanor
Darrion Scott (Getty Images)
By Viking Update Staff
Posted Jul 8, 2008
Former Vikings defensive lineman Darrion Scott avoided a trial by pleading guilty to lesser charges than the two felonies brought against him for his role in an incident involving his 2-year-old son.
Former Viking Darrion Scott pleaded guilty Monday to charges of child endangerment – heading off a court case on the day that jury selection was to begin.
Scott, who became a free agent following the 2007 season, has yet to sign on with another team with potential jail time hanging over his head if he had been found guilty on the felony third-degree assault and domestic assault by strangulation charges he faced. Instead, the felony charges were dropped and Scott pleaded guilty to child endangerment – a gross misdemeanor that carries up to one year in jail and a $3,000 fine. But those close to the case are saying that it isn’t expected that Scott will actually serve jail time.
The April 28 incident involving Scott’s 2-year-old son was the topic of considerable debate when the charges first surfaced. According to the police report, the child’s mother heard muffled screaming and entered a room to find, as she alleged, Scott holding a bag over the boy’s head and, with the child’s legs flailing, she claimed he was holding the bag tightly around the boy’s neck.
In a statement, Scott admitted what he did was “stupid and reckless,” but maintains he was not trying to intentionally hurt the child. In the statement, Scott said he put the bag in question over his own head and danced around like “the boogeyman” to entertain the boy. He said that, when the boy became scared and started crying, Scott put the bag over the boy’s head to show him it wouldn’t hurt him. He claims what the boy’s mother saw was him trying to remove the bag from the boy’s head after it got hooked on his chin.
Scott’s sentencing is set for July 24, with some saying the quick sentencing is so as not to conflict with the opening of NFL training camps in the event another team signs him. There is no word yet whether Commissioner Roger Goodell will take any punitive action, but it can’t be a good sign that a player pleads guilty to a charge of child endangerment. There is the distinct possibility that he could face at least a minor suspension considering the gravity of the charges and the guilty plea in the case.
As part of the plea agreement, Scott will undergo a psychological evaluation. There is still a court order precluding Scott from having visitation with the boy, but he continues to support the child financially and, through his attorneys, said he hopes to return to being part of the boy’s life soon.
Scott remains a free agent, with previous interest from New England and Washington, and, with his case now having run its course, it may open the opportunity for him to sign with another team.
TUESDAY NOTES
Former Viking Kelly Holcomb is apparently through with the NFL. On Monday, it was announced that Holcomb will be the color commentator for radio broadcasts of Middle Tennessee State University. Holcomb, who started three games for the Vikings last year after coming over in a late preseason trade with the Eagles, is an alum of MTSU and told the Tennessean newspaper in Nashville that he is most likely finished in the NFL as a player.
San Francisco sure seems to love Vikings quarterbacks. The 49ers signed QB Kyle Wright Monday. Wright was waived by the Vikings late last week. With the signing of Wright, the 49ers have three former Vikings on their roster, as Wright joins fellow purple alums Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan.
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