Former NFL player Jonathan Martin charged for threats, loaded gun

Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin has been charged with carrying a loaded weapon and making criminal threats after he allegedly posted a picture of a shotgun on Instagram with the handles of former teammates and the name of his former high school, California’s Harvard-Westlake, which was forced to temporarily shut down because of the incident.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney charted Martin with four counts of making criminal threats and one count of possessing a loaded firearm, according to TMZ.

The DA’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  

Former Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, 28, was arrested by police on February 23 with a cache of weapons following an ostensibly threatening Instagram post

According to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Martin was arrested by police on February 23 with a cache of weapons following the Instagram post.

When officials searched his car, they found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, a large knife, an ax and a cell phone. A second shotgun was found at his parents’ home.

Martin, a former second-round pick, was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold because officials believed he was a possible danger to himself and others.

Additionally, Martin’s girlfriend, who spoke with officials, said the Stanford alum had been making suicidal remarks for a month and had been ‘writing on the walls’ of his home.

Investigators also spoke with the two former high school classmates Martin tagged in his cryptic Instagram post, both of whom said Martin had been sending them disturbing Facebook messages starting in 2016.

Among the four names tagged were former Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey. Martin accused Incognito and Pouncey of bullying him following racially-charged incidents in 2013. Martin reportedly checked into a hospital for emotional distress afterwards

Among the four names tagged were former Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey. Martin accused Incognito and Pouncey of bullying him following racially-charged incidents in 2013. Martin reportedly checked into a hospital for emotional distress afterwards

The Harvard-Westlake School ultimately filed a workplace violence prevention restraining order against Martin, ESPN reported.

Martin, 28, attended Harvard-Westlake, an elite private school costing $38,000 a year and popular with celebrities, before going on to Stanford.

The restraining order prohibits Martin from entering the campus and requires him to stay 150 yards away from school properties and facilities.

The threat in question, posted to an Instagram account believed to belong to Martin, read ‘When you’re a bully victim & a coward, your options are suicide, or revenge.’

The post also included an image of a shotgun and shells, with four social media accounts tagged and hashtags for Harvard-Westlake and the Miami Dolphins.

Among the four names tagged were former Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey.

Harvard-Westlake School (pictured), which is popular with celebrities, got a restraining order against Martin, who is a former student, last Thursday at the Santa Monica Courthouse

Harvard-Westlake School (pictured), which is popular with celebrities, got a restraining order against Martin, who is a former student, last Thursday at the Santa Monica Courthouse

Among the four names tagged were former Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito (pictured) and Mike Pouncey, both of whom were accused by Martin of bullying and emotional abuse

Martin accused Incognito and Pouncey (pictured) of bullying him following racially-charged incidents in 2013

Among the four names tagged were former Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito (left) and Mike Pouncey (right), both of whom were accused by Martin of bullying and emotional abuse 

Martin accused Incognito and Pouncey of bullying him following racially-charged incidents in 2013.

Incognito was suspended by the team for three months after Martin left the club midway through the 2013 season.

Incognito left voicemails on Martin’s phone calling him a ‘half-n***** piece of s**t’, threatening to slap his mother and even making death threats against Martin.

Incognito also joked about ‘running a train’ on Martin’s sister, and made other crude remarks about her.

Martin, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2015, reportedly checked into a hospital for emotional distress over the incident, and returned to his parents home in California.

He ultimately quit the team and debated giving up on his career, feeling such psychological duress that he said he twice considered committing suicide.

His girlfriend also told officials he'd been suicidal for about a month and 'writing on the walls of his home' (Pictured, Martin on the San Francisco 49ers in October 2014)

His girlfriend also told officials he’d been suicidal for about a month and ‘writing on the walls of his home’ (Pictured, Martin on the San Francisco 49ers in October 2014)

In November that year, Incognito was suspended for ‘conduct detrimental to the team.’

Also tagged in the Instagram post was sports agent James Dunleavy, VP Basketball at Independent Sports & Entertainment and TJ Taylor, a top executive at an exclusive dating app – both appear to be former students at Harvard-Westlake.

It’s not clear whether Martin also suffered from bullying at Harvard-Westlake.

Neighbors of Martin at the upscale, modern apartment building in West Hollywood where he lives, were stunned at the news.

‘He seemed very quiet and pleasant when I would run into him in the elevator or the garage,’ one woman – who lives on the third floor, the same as Martin’s – told DailyMail.com.

‘He would say, ‘hey’ and that was it. He wasn’t very talkative.

‘He’s real big but he didn’t strike me as somebody who was aggressive or violent. He was like a gentle giant.’



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk