Tensions were high as the son of Deion Sanders delivered controversial testimony, contradicting eyewitness reports while fighting to discharge a multimillion-judgment stemming from a violent 2015 school incident.
Former Colorado Buffaloes football player Shilo Sanders took the stand at his bankruptcy trial in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 1. What started off as Deion Sanders' son providing an account of what happened 11 years ago turned into tempers flaring up in the courtroom.
This case is centered around Shilo Sanders' actions from Sept. 17, 2015. During Day 2 in court, he claimed John Darjean, a former security guard at his school, restrained him by using force. At one point, Sanders said Darjean “attacked” him. However, there's no truth to his account of what happened that day.
What was proven in a Texas court was Sanders doing the opposite to Darjean. Sanders never showed up for court in 2022 and a summary judgment was issued. The case has circled back to bankruptcy court with Sanders trying to discharge the $11.89 million debt. But the first two days in the trial aren't favoring Sanders and here's why.
Shilo Sanders takes the witness stand in his bankruptcy trial
Sanders testimony went in a few different directions and contradicted multiple witnesses who provided statements from the events that day. He said he feared for his life, was two-hand choked by Darjean, causing him to “black out” and started tearing the skin off his arm. What's interesting is Sanders added he was in “excruciating pain” from Darjean "choke-slamming" him. This directly contradicts eyewitness accounts from others and the final report submitted by Texas investigators.
“I was a scared little guy,” Sanders testified. Shilo's stature came up several times during the day. Victor Vital and Sanders' defense team are rolling the argument that this situation was a scared kid against an "overpowering" adult. What's shocking is he denied ever striking Darjean, which goes against several accounts from the incident. Darjean watched Sanders give his testimony and couldn't believe what he said.
Sanders’ version of what happened isn't consistent with Darjean's injuries. The twist from all of this is interesting. Does Vital really believe his client can somehow convince the judge he did nothing to send a man away in an ambulance right after the incident? Meanwhile, Sanders walked away with no reported injuries.
Things got heated late in the day
Sanders was getting agitated towards the end of the day and started to dance around the questions being asked by Darjean's attorney, Ori Raphael. Judge Michael Romero eventually redirected Sanders and Raphael to follow the rules.
“Just stop,” Romero told them. “Just ask questions. Just answer his questions. Let’s not get into an argument between the two of you. It’s the end of the day. Tempers are getting a little high.”
There's a lot at stake for Sanders and his attempt to discharge the debt owed to Darjean. He admitted to having a phone, but maintains that his actions are not justification for being "attacked."
“There was no intent to injure,” Vital said. Darjean ended up in the hospital with multiple injuries. He says Sanders swung a roundhouse elbow into his upper chest and punched him with a vicious combo.
The issue to be determined at trial is whether Sanders was “willful and malicious” in the incident leading to injury. Nobody has testified Darjean was the aggressor.
“I was just a young kid that just got attacked by a grown man and just got scared for my life for a second, because I was getting choked,’ Sanders said.
The trial resumes Wednesday with Sanders likely taking the stand again.
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