From NFL Legend to Jail Cell: The Tillman Family’s Unthinkable Fire

The brother of late NFL star Pat Tillman has been arrested after a car crashed into a post office in San Jose, Calif., according to reports.

In the early hours of the morning on Sunday, July 20, the San Jose Fire Department (SJFD) responded to reports of a blaze “at the Almaden Valley Post Office on the 6500 block of Crown Blvd in south [San Jose],” per an Instagram post.
The fire department, which shared multiple photos of the blaze, stated, “Second alarm response with ~50 personnel on scene. Defensive operations were performed to prevent extension. No injuries reported. Cause is under investigation.”
Richard Tillman, 44, has since been booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of arson, the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) confirmed in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Per ABC News, the suspect is Pat Tillman’s brother.

NBC Bay Area reported that the suspect had told officers at the scene that he was the brother of Pat Tillman, and that he’d allegedly live-streamed the incident on social media, citing a source with knowledge of the investigation.
The SJPD said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “On July 20th, around 3 a.m. [local time], SJPD Officers responded to [a] US Post Office in the 6500 block of Crown Boulevard for report of a fire.”
“When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a vehicle had been driven into the post office and caught fire causing the entire building to catch on fire. No injuries were reported,” it added.
Police continued, “After conferring with [the U.S. Postal Inspection Service], SJPD can confirm that the suspect arrested in relation to the US Post Office fire was 44 year old, Richard Tillman of San Jose. He was subsequently booked into the Santa Clara county jail for arson. The motive and circumstances are still under investigation.”
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office’s online inmate records, which have been seen by PEOPLE and are accessible to the public, indicate that Richard Tillman was arrested on Sunday, with a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, at 12 p.m. local time.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Monday, July 21, “Shortly after 3 a.m. yesterday, the San Jose Fire and Police Departments responded to reports of a vehicle on fire in the box lobby area at the Almaden Valley Station Post Office.”
“The fire was extinguished with no injuries. Police took one person into custody,” they added.
“The person in police custody is named Richard Tillman, who is reported to be the brother of the late NFL player and U.S. Army soldier Patrick Tillman. Postal inspectors are investigating the incident as a potentially intentional act,” the statement concluded.
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ABC News noted that federal investigators had said they were investigating words that had been spray-painted onto the post office building. Sources told the publication it’s not yet clear what connection the words have to the incident.

 

Richard’s brother, Pat Tillman, who previously played for the Arizona Cardinals, died while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2004, per the Pat Tillman Foundation. He was 27, and had put his sports career on hold after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
The Pat Tillman Foundation has been set up to identify “remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses, empowering them with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers,” the nonprofit organization’s website states.
The Pat Tillman Foundation didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.

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