American Football: The Washington Redskins star defensive player Sean Taylor died today after being shot at his home near Miami during an apparent burglary.
Taylor, 24, who was the Redskins first pick in the 2004 draft,
was shot in the leg, severing his femoral artery, during the
apparent home burglary yesterday.
He was airlifted to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital for
treatment but died from his wound after heavy blood loss, local
affiliates of CBS News and ABC News said.
The Miami Herald reported that Taylor and other occupants of
the house heard intruders at the rear door and Taylor was shot in
the leg.
Police said they were called at 1:45am (local time) by a
woman who said Taylor had been shot.
"We've yet to determine the circumstances surrounding the
shooting," said Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Kathy Webb.
Miami-Dade police Lt. Nancy Perez, speaking to reporters
outside Taylor's home, said Taylor "was shot in the lower
extremities. He was airlifted to Ryder Trauma (center at Jackson
Memorial Hospital) in critical condition."
Taylor, a college star with the University of Miami, bought
the four-bedroom home in Palmetto Bay, a village just south of
Miami, for $900,000 (€600,000) two years ago.
The hard-hitting safety had five interceptions this season
but had been sidelined the last two weeks with a leg injury.
Taylor had a run-in with the law two years ago stemming from
a gun-related incident.
He was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault
with a weapon and one count each of simple assault and simple
battery in connection with a June 2005 incident where he was
accused of waving a gun at a group of people he suspected of
stealing his all-terrain vehicle.
He could have faced up to 46 years in prison.
In June 2006 he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and
battery charges and prosecutors dropped the more serious felony
charges.