Police in San Jose, California, have arrested Richard Tillman, the younger brother of late NFL star and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman, after a bizarre early morning crash on Sunday, July 20. Authorities say Richard allegedly drove his vehicle into a US post office around 3 AM on the 6500 block of Crown Boulevard, sparking a fire that spread throughout the building.
According to NBC Bay Area, Richard was live-streaming the incident on social media. Officers arrived to find the vehicle engulfed in flames inside the building, though no injuries were reported. Richard was taken into custody and booked at Santa Clara County Jail, where he is being held without bail. No formal charges had been filed as of Sunday afternoon.
Richard Tillman, a stand-up comedian and actor, gained public attention in 2004 after delivering impassioned and candid remarks at his brother’s funeral, which emphasized Pat’s secular beliefs. He has also appeared in films like The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) and written a series of children’s books.
Pat Tillman: From NFL Star to National Hero
Pat Tillman played safety for the Arizona Cardinals before famously leaving the NFL in 2002 to enlist in the US Army after 9/11. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. In 2004, Tillman was tragically killed in a friendly fire incident in eastern Afghanistan, a fact that only came to light after early reports falsely cited enemy combatants.
Pat Tillman was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and other honors. The Pac-10’s Defensive Player of the Year Award now bears his name.