A former Chicago Bears All-Pro cornerback has been arrested in Phoenix on murder charges, police sources said.
Michael Richardson, 59, who won a Super Bowl with the Bears in 1985, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the murder of 47-year-old Ronald Like on Tuesday, multiple police sources told KNXV.
As, who was discovered by officers at an intersection, was taken to a hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound and later died. Phoenix agents have investigated the shooting as a murder, the Arizona Republic reported.
Richardson, who lives in a gated community in Eastern Mesa, had also issued a felony for his arrest, according to court documents cited by KNXV.
Maricopa County jail records show that Richardson was held without bail on charges of murder, possession of a gun by a banned person, and possession of a dangerous drug for sale. The records indicate that he is due to appear in court on January 6.
It’s unclear if Richardson hired a lawyer who could comment on the charges he’s facing.
Born in Compton, California, Richardson was a starting cornerback for the Bears’ famous defense in 1985 and was named a Second Team All-Pro in 1986. He was also featured in the team’s iconic ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’ video, KNXV reported.
“I’m LA Mike and I play it cool, they don’t sneak past me because I’m not crazy,” Richardson rhymed on the song.
Before being drafted by the Bears in 1983, Richardson was a standout All-American at Arizona State University.
Wednesday’s arrest is the latest in a string of legal troubles for Richardson. He had been arrested twice this year by Phoenix police for alleged drug possession and was arrested in Maricopa County in 2018 on charges of theft and possession of meth, crack cocaine and heroin, KNXV reported.
In 2010, ESPN reported that Richardson had been released from custody and sentenced to 13 years in prison with more than 10 years after a California appeals court found he had not violated the terms of his probation in a 2008 conviction for selling drugs.
The incident at the time led to Richardson’s 21st conviction on drug-related charges – and his fifth felony in 16 years, ESPN reported.
Legal troubles for Richardson began just three years after his last NFL season in San Francisco in 1989, when he was found guilty of two drug crimes and served a four-year sentence, ESPN reported.
Richardson’s public defender said, according to court transcripts, that Richardson’s “deep dependence on drugs” began when he was just 13 years old.