Aaron Hernandez’s brother arrested for plotting two school shootings
The brother of former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez has been arrested after allegedly threatening to kill a woman and plotting an attack on the University of Connecticut and Brown University, according to authorities.
Dennis DJ Hernandez, 37, was verbally abused by police officers after he allegedly told officers to “shoot me” as they surrounded his home on July 19, according to a Bristol Police Department arrest report obtained by CT Insider.
The report described Mr. Hernandez, who is being held at Hartford Correctional Center on $250,000 bail, as “severely disabled and a danger to society.”
In May, Mr Hernandez was arrested after allegedly leading police in a chase during an alleged bipolar episode. He was arrested again this month after allegedly throwing a brick through the window of ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
Mr. Hernandez’s ex-girlfriend told police that he took her car to a court date on July 7, but instead drove to UConn and Brown’s Storrs campus in Providence, Rhode Island, where he “went into a number of classrooms and buildings” to “map the schools,” the warrant said.
On July 19, Mr. Hernandez reportedly posted a threatening message on social media, saying, “Am I going to kill?” Absolutely. I warned my enemies, so pay in advance.”
Text messages obtained by police also revealed that he was planning to kill a woman he was previously involved with and, according to the warrant, was also “going to get her family.”
Police arrived at the home where Mr. Hernandez is believed to be that day and ordered him out of the home.
Dennis DJ Hernandez, brother of former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez, has been arrested by police in Massachusetts
(Bristol Police)
According to the report, he allegedly told officers that he was “on foot and armed and that if we approached he would kill us all”.
When he finally got outside, Mr. Hernandez approached officers and yelled “shoot me,” ignoring police orders, one officer claimed.
The officers cursed at him, arrested him, and then took him to the hospital.
Police said Mr Hernandez continued to make threats at the hospital and said he would “kill anyone who profits from his brother Aaron,” specifically mentioning ESPN.
He has been charged with making threats and breaching the peace and is due to appear in court on August 1.
Aaron Hernandez, a former New England Patriots star tight end, committed suicide in prison in 2017 at the age of 27 after being convicted of the 2013 murder of Odin L. Lloyd.
It was later discovered that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain trauma that is becoming increasingly common in contact athletes.
Following the arrest of Dennis Hernandez, UConn released a statement on the matter WTNH say there is “no known imminent threat” to the college. Mr. Hernandez played four seasons for the UConn football team from 2004 to 2007.
Brown University said in a statement it investigated the threat and found no evidence Mr Hernandez had been on campus in recent weeks.
Mr. Hernandez was the quarterbacks coach for Brown’s football team during the 2011-12 academic year.
