CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died after being seriously injured Wednesday in a domestic dispute with his fiancée, the Associated Press reports. He was 26.
The NFL star was discovered lying on a south Charlotte road with "life-threatening injuries" after he fell out of the back of a pickup truck. He was transported to Carolinas Medical Center, where he was placed on life support.
Henry was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. EST Thursday.
Henry and his fiancée, Loleini Tonga, have been raising three children. Police say they got into a dispute around noon at her parents' home, with Henry eventually jumping into the back of the truck.
"The domestic situation continued between the operator and Mr. Henry," the police said in a statement. "At some point while she was driving, Mr. Henry came out of the back of the vehicle."
A police spokeswoman said homicide detectives have been assigned to the case, but had no further information.
The couple has been in town making wedding plans as they planned to tie the knot next March in the Charlotte area.
Henry has been away from the team after being placed on injured reserve with a dislocated forearm on Nov. 9.
The former West Virginia star was initially plagued by off-the-field problems after being drafted in the third round by the Bengals in 2005. The team released him after his fifth arrest following the 2007 season, only to bring him back a few months later with a new two-year deal. Henry appeared to be turning his life around, having stayed out of trouble ever since.
"For those who knew Chris, he was nothing like his public perception. A loving and caring individual, he was thankful for what he had in life, and proud of what he had overcome,'' his agents, Andy Simms and Dave Lee, said in a joint statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He realized he made mistakes and made positive changes to his life. As a result of these changes, he had become a man that all Bengals, and NFL, fans could be proud of.''
Bengals president Mike Brown, who was often criticized for standing by the wide receiver, said Henry died just "as he was running to daylight."
"What I saw was a good person at heart,'" Brown told the paper. "Sometimes he wasn't described that way, but that's how I saw him.'"
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chris Henry's family and friends and the entire Bengals organization.
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