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Fresh details about the night of Dallas Cowboys star Marshawn Kneeland's death have emerged after he died by apparent suicide earlier this month.
The NFL defensive end was discovered dead with a self-inflicted gunshot in the early hours of November 6 at the age of 24 after being pursued by officers who had attempted to conduct a traffic stop in suburban Dallas, close to the Cowboys' training facility.
Now, the Texas police's frantic search for Kneeland, including the moment his pregnant girlfriend was placed in handcuffs, has been unveiled in body and dash cam video obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
The footage shockingly revealed that Catalina Mancera, Kneeland's girlfriend, was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after she arrived at the scene of officer's desperate hours-long search amid her fears for her boyfriend and his mental health.
About an hour earlier at around 10:35pm, Texas State Troopers began to pursue Kneeland's vehicle.
Officers initially unaware that the driver they were pursuing was Kneeland. After a search of the vehicle's identification number revealed it was owned by the NFL player, they presumed it to have been stolen.
Marshawn Kneeland was reportedly caught driving at nearly 150mph on the night of his death
Kneeland, pictured with his girlfriend Catalina Mancera, died this month in an apparent suicide
Yet, around 10 minutes after losing site of the battle, Kneeland crashed into a pickup and he fled on foot, sparking the widespread search that included K-9 sniffer dogs, drones and even Texas state troopers firing pepper balls into drainage tunnels.
Kneeland's vehicle, which he said to have been driving at speeds higher than 145mph, ended up in a grassy area beside the tollway in Frisco near an office park area with office buildings, businesses and apartments.
Troopers said an empty holster was found underneath the driver's seat of Kneeland's car.
Still unaware that the man they were pursuing was Kneeland, officers searched the shopping complex before being led to a wooded area by a K-9. Shortly after 11:30pm, they then narrowed in on a culvert, a closed pipe that helps manage the flow of water.
'Frisco K-9. If you're in this tunnel, I'm going to send my dog in here. He is going to bite you. This is your last opportunity,' a Frisco officer said.
Authorities later fired pepper balls into the tunnels and sent a drone into them, but did not find Kneeland inside.
Meanwhile, Kneeland's girlfriend Mancera had driven to the scene of the search area. She is captured on footage telling police he was armed, had a history of mental illness and would 'end it all.'
She was then placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a squad car, as they searched her vehicle for Kneeland.
Following the search, officers released Mancera from the back of the squad car but continued to monitor her as she remained on the scene. Later footage showed her being questioned again.
It was revealed that Mancera had driven to the scene but did not initially identify herself or her relation to Kneeland to the cops.
'The girlfriend has his location. But she's not giving it to us … She's like, "He's going to kill himself. I can't tell you where he's at,"' a Frisco police officer said. Authorities later said Mancera worked with officers to find Kneeland.
Mancera had sounded the alarm to the police after she received a concerning text message from the NFL star, saying that he would 'end it all.'
In devastating 911 audio, dispatchers could be heard relaying information from Kneeland's girlfriend, who reportedly said that he had a history of mental illness and that he was armed.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed in the days following Kneeland's death that Mancera is pregnant. The franchise has set up a memorial fund to support her and their unborn child.
Mancera shared a heartbreaking statement earlier this week as she continued to mourn her devastating loss.
'I still have a glimpse of hope Marshawn will walk through our front door singing and dancing to the music he was listening to in the car,' she wrote on Instagram. 'This isn’t my life anymore, I’m now living my worst nightmare. Marshawn was more than just my boyfriend he was my best friend my muse and my reason.'
More to follow.
