Report: Sha’Carri Richardson arrested on domestic assault offense

Olympic gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested Sunday at Seattle Tacoma International Airport after an incident with her boyfriend, Christian Coleman, The Athletic reported Friday. A police report obtained by The Athletic, but the case has since been cleared.

Richardson faced a fourth-degree domestic violence assault offense, according to the report. That is the lowest degree of severity in Washington State, according to LetsRun.com, which first reported the news.

The incident occurred at a TSA security checkpoint, according to The Athletic. An officer said Richardson and Coleman got into a heated argument, and Richardson allegedly shoved Coleman multiple times when he started walking away. There was also security camera footage, per the reports, and LetsRun.com added Richardson allegedly threw her headphones at Coleman.

The officer said the shove gave probable cause to arrest Richardson. However, Coleman refused to press charges, and the reports said he “declined to be a victim.”

In the police report, Coleman told the officer Richardson has been his girlfriend for two years, according to The Athletic. The two star sprinters recently publicly confirmed their relationship in February, confirming rumors on social media.

Sha’Carri Richardson brought home 2 medals in Paris

Richardson won her first gold medal at the 2025 Paris Olympics as part of the 4×100-meter relay. Team USA – which included Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry and Gabby Thomas, with Richardson as the anchor – clocked in at 41.78 seconds. The end of the race also created a viral moment as Richardson appeared to stare back at Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, though she denied it was a staredown.

Richardson also competed in the women’s 100-meter dash in Paris. She finished second in the event, bringing home a silver medal.

Richardson previously qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but a urine sample showed recent cannabis use. As a result, she was not eligible to participate, meaning Paris was her first appearance in the Olympics.

Prior to her Olympics career, Sha’Carri Richardson starred at LSU. She was a finalist in the 60-meter dash at her first NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in 2019 and broke two U20 world records at the 2019 NCAA D-I Outdoor Championships. Following her first year, she opted to forego her remaining eligibility to turn professional.