NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp says he has filed suit against the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, alleging he was wrongfully arrested in Okeechobee last year.
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OKEECHOBEE -- NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp says he has filed suit against the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, alleging he was wrongfully arrested in Okeechobee in February 2024.
A video of the arrest was posted by FOX Sports 640’s Andy Slater on X. In the video, a deputy was writing another man a ticket for speeding when Sapp became involved in the discussion.
According to Slater, the state attorney dropped the charges days later noting the cops’ actions in his arrest were not legal.
The video of Sapp's arrest in Okeechobee.
Sapp spoke about the incident on a podcast, Thee Pregame Show, posted to YouTube on Jan. 22.
“To be violated in less than 30 seconds and then not to have a supervisor come to me, nothing.” said Sapp on the podcast. “He went from zero to 100 in no time after I calmly explained to him what obstruction was. And I told him what I’m doing is constitutionally protected free speech.”
Sapp is suing the Sheriff’s Office for $20 million for the incident. He says he was held for three hours in the Okeechobee County jail before paying a $750 cash bond. The incident occurred just as Sapp was preparing to take a coaching position with the University of Colorado football team under Deion Sanders.
“My background check was still coming in from Colorado,” said Sapp on Thee Pregame Show. “You know I wasn’t sleeping good. I had to call Prime (Sanders) on my way from the jail. I had no footage at the time. I had nothing. That was the scariest part.”
Sapp says he was contacted by a friend later who had the video of the arrest, which he was then able to send to Sanders to help assure him about the incident before he hired Sapp.
Overall, Sapp says the incident has left a bad taste in his mouth about Okeechobee.
“I spend a lot of time in Okeechobee, fishing and hunting. Because that’s like Florida’s playground right there around the big lake. The big lake gives you a lot of great fishing and a lot of great times. I love being in the woods. And I haven’t been back to Okeechobee since. It put a real bad taste in my mouth, man.”
Editor's note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
UPDATE: Sapp arrest report lists charge as 'Obstruction without violence' | South Central Florida Life
