Cam Sutton has surrendered himself, putting an end to a search that lasted for weeks for the former NFL defensive back who was wanted on a domestic violence warrant.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that the 29-year-old arrived at a detention facility in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday night, nearly a week after his attorney informed authorities of his intention to surrender.
“After avoiding law enforcement for weeks, this individual has finally made the right decision to turn himself in,” stated Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Domestic violence has no place in our community, and everyone is subject to the law here in Hillsborough County. My thoughts are with the victim as she continues to recover from this individual’s abhorrent actions.”
Initially, Sutton faced a felony charge in his arrest warrant, but prosecutors revealed on Monday that he was formally charged with misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum one-year prison term. Sutton was released from custody on Monday under his own recognizance, according to the state attorney’s office.
The sheriff’s office received a report of an ongoing domestic violence incident involving Sutton and a woman around 5 a.m. on March 7th. Nearly two weeks ago, the sheriff’s department issued a plea for assistance in locating Sutton.
Shortly after, Lions president Rod Wood stated that Sutton was present at the team’s training facility just outside of Detroit. Wood mentioned that a Lions staff member advised Sutton to surrender himself.
“We recommended that he seek legal counsel and take the necessary steps to turn himself in,” Wood informed Detroit’s Fox 2 station. “Following that, we convened throughout the remainder of the day and the subsequent morning to deliberate on releasing him .”
Detroit had signed Sutton to a three-year contract worth $33 million a year ago, although the final two years were annulled after the Lions released him. He contributed to the franchise winning a division title for the first time in thirty years, as well as securing two playoff victories in one postseason for the first time since 1957. Sutton appeared in all 17 regular-season games, recording a career-best 65 tackles and one interception, and participated in each of Detroit’s three playoff matches.
Sutton started in 31 games for the Steelers during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, registering five interceptions and 95 tackles. Pittsburgh selected the former Tennessee standout, hailing from Jonesboro, Georgia, in the third round of the 2017 draft. Over his career, he has accumulated nine interceptions in 101 games.