Track star Sha’Carri Richardson arrested in alleged assault

Reigning world 100-meter sprint champion Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested last weekend for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Richardson was arrested Sunday with a fourth-degree domestic violence offense, according to the police report obtained by The Associated Press. On Thursday, she ran in the opening round of the 100 meters at the U.S. track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. She has an automatic bye to the world championships in September in Tokyo as the defending champion.

Richardson, 25, was booked into the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) in Des Moines, Washington, at 6:54 p.m. Sunday and released Monday at 1:13 p.m.

“USATF is aware of the reports and is not commenting on this matter,” USA Track and Field said in a statement.

Richardson’s agent did not 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 yank away Coleman’s backpack. Richardson then appeared to get in Coleman’s way, and Coleman tried to step around her. Coleman was shoved into a wall.

The report later said that Richardson appeared to throw an item at Coleman. TSA indicated it might have been headphones.

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, Hungary, and finished with the silver medal at the Paris Games last summer.

She had a positive marijuana test at the 2021 U.S. Olympic trials and didn’t compete at the Tokyo Olympics.