Cam Sutton released by Detroit Lions, one day after learning of warrant for his arrest
In like a Lion, out while on the lam.
The Detroit Lions released cornerback Cam Sutton on Thursday, one day after they learned there was a warrant out for his arrest on one count of domestic battery by strangulation.
According to authorities, Sutton was involved in a domestic dispute in the early morning hours of March 7 in Lutz, Fla., a suburb of Tampa.
Officers responded to a call of a domestic violence incidence in progress shortly before 5 a.m. and found the victim with wounds that indicated an altercation took place, Phil Martello, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told the Free Press on Wednesday.
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Sutton fled the scene before police arrived, and has been avoiding law enforcement since, Martello said.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told the Free Press that Sutton still had not turned himself in to authorities as of noon Thursday. He is not considered a missing person, the spokesperson said.
Sutton's attorney, Jason Setchen, has not responded to messages seeking comment.
The Lions said in a statement Wednesday they became aware of the incident that morning.
Sutton had a disappointing first season with the Lions after signing a three-year, $33 million deal last March. He made 65 tackles and had one interception while starting all 17 regular season games, but struggled late in the season and in the playoffs against No. 1 receivers.
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The Lions traded for Carlton Davis III, signed Amik Robertson in free agency and re-signed Emmanuel Moseley to bolster their secondary this offseason. Davis was expected to start as the team's No. 1 cornerback, with Robertson and Emmanuel Moseley serving as the team's top backups, though the No. 2 cornerback spot is now up for grabs.
Sutton is scheduled to make $10.5 million this fall, a salary that became fully guaranteed last week. The Lions can file to void the guarantees, which is typical in cases when players face NFL discipline.
Once the guaranteed money voids, the Lions will free up about $4 million in cap space after taking an $8.72 million dead cap hit. Without the voids, Sutton will count $19.2 million against the cap.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cam Sutton released by Detroit Lions after domestic violence incident
