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With former NFL wide receiver Travis Rudolph set to stand trial in a murder case, Lamar Jackson has urged for calls to pray for his acquittal.
Last week, Rudolph, who most notably played for the New York Giants during his brief football career, was finally put on trial for one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder in relation to a shooting incident that occurred in Palm Beach County, Florida. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence.
Jackson took to Twitter to preach Rudolph's innocence:
"Free Travis Rudolph," he tweeted.
Details of the murder allegedly committed by Travis Rudolph
According to the sheriff's office, Rudolph was staying at his mother's house in 2019 when four men confronted him about a recent dispute he had with his then-girlfriend Dominique Jones. A scuffle ensued, and as the men were driving away, Rudolph allegedly grabbed a rifle and opened fire.
One man died in the shooting, and he was eventually identified as Sebastien Jean-Jacques. Another man, Tyler Robinson, was wounded and rushed to hospital, but survived.
During the pre-trial hearing in 2022, Rudolph attempted to invoke the "stand your ground" defense - claiming that the four men initiated the fight. Testifying in his own defense, he said:
“One he punches me, all of them started jumping me. They were saying ‘It’s demon time,’ you (expletive) with the wrong girl. I took it as they were trying to kill me.”
One of the men even purportedly drew a gun at Rudolph once he was cornered, and he responded by grabbing his rifle. As the assailants left with their guns pointing at him, that was when he realized he had to react:
“When you’re facing two guns after everything that played through, lights off, I was in fear for my life. At that point, I had the right to defend myself.”
The judge, however, rejected the invocation, noting that the assailants had not fired on Rudolph and that he had continued to chase them against his mother's pleas.
Rudolph, who is currently under house arrest as part of his bond, still maintains that his acts occurred in self-defense.
