Why Was Marshawn Kneeland in a Police Chase? Uncovering His Tumultuous Final Moments

When Dallas Cowboys defensive Marshawn Kneeland died at the age of 24 on Nov. 6, 2025, the news of his death shook the NFL community. As the influx of tributes for him started to come out, so did the details regarding his final moments.

On Nov. 6, Marshawn's death was ruled to be an apparent suicide. The Frisco, Texas police department ruled that he was found dead following a police car chase.

Here's what to know about why Marshawn was involved in the police chase hours before he died.

According to a press release created by state authorities, Marshawn's car chase was due to a traffic violation. The chase happened on the night of Nov. 5, 2025, police tried to pull him over for the violation and "refused to stop" and ultimately crashed the vehicle at the scene.

"On November 5, 2025, at approximately 10:39 p.m., the Frisco Police Department responded to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with locating a vehicle that had evaded troopers during a pursuit that entered the city of Frisco," the press release stated. "After losing visual of the vehicle, troopers located it minutes later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway."

Marshawn was reportedly seen fleeing the scene by foot. According to another press release, officers established a perimeter and initiated a search of the area with the assistance of the FPD K-9 and Drone units. Police later found Marshawn's body in the early hours of Nov. 6 after searching the "immediate area" of the car, according to Texas DPS.

Marshawn's death also showed where he was at mentally before his apparent suicide. Police further shared in their press release that, through searching their search of the scene and his vehicle, they discovered that Marshawn had what appeared to be suicidal ideations. However, police also noted that, at the time of publishing, there was still more investigation needed to look into what exactly happened on Nov. 5.

"The cause/manner of death will be determined by the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office," the statement from police read. "At this time, no further details will be released as the investigation remains ongoing. Our heartfelt condolences to the Kneeland family and friends."

Marshawn was a promising member of the Dallas Cowboys after spending just one year with the team. He was drafted into the NFL after graduating from Western Michigan University. Following news of the athlete's death, the Cowboys released a statement and shared a tribute to the player and expressed condolences to his family and his girlfriend.

"Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization," the team wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family."