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Was looking through Steeler draft picks today and happened to read the wikipedia article about Cole Ford (Steelers' seventh round pick in 1995. What a bizarre story this guy as been since leaving the NFL.
He moved to Las Vegas in 2004 to pursue a lawsuit against the Mirage casino, demanding $5 million in damages for what he perceived as exploitation of athletes from profiting off sports betting. The lawsuit was dismissed.[1]
On September 21, 2004 police said that he fired a gun toward the house of entertainers Siegfried & Roy. Ford was arrested and charged with three counts of felony firearms charges.[2] At a January 2005 hearing, judge Jackie Glass ruled that Ford was incompetent to stand trial and ordered him sent to a state mental health facility to be evaluated. Ford argued that he was competent and wanted to plead guilty.[3]
According to a psychiatrist's evaluation after the shooting, Ford stated that he did not intend to harm the performers, but wanted to "warn the world of the illusionists' unhealthy danger to them and to animals". The psychiatrist, Norton Roitman, wrote that "While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists' treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals." Ford told Roitman that he believed the performers had a sexual relationship with their animals and it was a factor in the development of the AIDS virus.[4]
On September 21, 2004 police said that he fired a gun toward the house of entertainers Siegfried & Roy. Ford was arrested and charged with three counts of felony firearms charges.[2] At a January 2005 hearing, judge Jackie Glass ruled that Ford was incompetent to stand trial and ordered him sent to a state mental health facility to be evaluated. Ford argued that he was competent and wanted to plead guilty.[3]
According to a psychiatrist's evaluation after the shooting, Ford stated that he did not intend to harm the performers, but wanted to "warn the world of the illusionists' unhealthy danger to them and to animals". The psychiatrist, Norton Roitman, wrote that "While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists' treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals." Ford told Roitman that he believed the performers had a sexual relationship with their animals and it was a factor in the development of the AIDS virus.[4]
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