Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson Arrested for Assaulting Beau

Track star was detained days before competing in US track and field championships
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 2, 2025 6:30 AM CDT
Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson Arrested for Assaulting Beau
Sha'Carri Richardson reacts after winning her 100m heat during the US track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday.   (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Reigning 100-meter world champion Sha'Carri Richardson was arrested last weekend for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Richardson was arrested Sunday on a fourth-degree domestic violence offense, according to the police report obtained by the AP. On Thursday, she ran in the opening round of the women's 100 meters at the US track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. She has an automatic bye to the world championships in September in Tokyo as the defending champion.

The 25-year-old Richardson was booked into the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) in Des Moines, Washington, around 7pm last Sunday and released Monday in the early afternoon. "USATF is aware of the reports and is not commenting on this matter," USA Track and Field said in a statement. Richardson's agent didn't immediately reply to an email request for comment.

The police report said an officer at the airport was notified by a Transportation Security Administration supervisor of a disturbance between Richardson and her boyfriend, sprinter Christian Coleman. The officer reviewed camera footage and observed Richardson reach out with her left arm and grab Coleman's backpack and yank it away. Richardson then appeared to get in Coleman's way, with Coleman trying to step around her. Coleman was then shoved into a wall. The report later said that Richardson appeared to throw an item at Coleman, which the TSA indicated may have been headphones.

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In the police report, the officer said, "I was told Coleman did not want to participate any further in the investigation and declined to be a victim." Richardson won the 100 at the 2023 world championships in Budapest and finished with the silver at the Paris Games last summer. She also helped the 4x100 relay to an Olympic gold. She had a positive marijuana test at the 2021 US Olympic trials and didn't compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

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