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The brother of the late NFL player and Army hero Pat Tillman, Richard Tillman, crashed into a San Jose post office on Sunday morning. His family revealed that Richard has been struggling with severe mental issues for years.
Kevin Tillman, another brother of Pat and Richard, mentioned that Richard was livestreaming his altered self on social media during the crash. Richard even informed the police at the scene that he was live-streaming the incident.
Richard also identified himself as Pat Tillman’s brother to the officers present.
Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals before enlisting in the army. (Gene Lower/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“Our family is aware that my brother Richard has been arrested,” Kevin stated. “First and foremost, we are relieved that no one was physically harmed.
“We have limited information at this time, but we are in communication with local authorities and are providing as much background and context as we can.
“To be clear, it’s not secret that Richard has been battling severe mental health issues for many years. He has been livestreaming his altered self on social media for anyone to witness. Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult – or rather, impossible. As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be. We have nothing further to add at this time.”
Richard was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson, and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office’s online records.
Arizona Cardinals defensive back Pat Tillman smiles during the pregame. (Photo by Gene Lower/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The 44-year-old crashed into the post office located in a strip mall around 3 a.m. early Sunday morning. It took about 50 firefighters an hour and a half to put out the flames, per NBC Bay Area.
Pat was an NFL star for the Arizona Cardinals who famously left his career in football to enlist in the United States Army in May 2002. The decision came after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Tillman served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army Ranger, making several combat tours before being killed in the Afghanistan mountains.
Richard Tillman, the brother of Cpl. Pat Tillman, raises a toast with a glass of Guiness, as he speaks at a memorial service for his Tillman, who was killed in action in Afghanistan April 22, 2004, at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden May 3, 2004 in San Jose, California. Tillman turned down a lucrative NFL contract to serve with as a US Army Ranger. (David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
While it was initially reported that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, the Pentagon informed his family that he was killed by friendly fire. In 2007, the Pentagon ruled that Tillman’s death was accidental.
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