Chad Wheeler's ex-girlfriend has shared graphic photos of her bloodied face after he beat and choked her during what he calls a 'manic episode' at his home last month.
Wheeler, a Seattle Seahawks lineman, attacked Alleah Taylor, his girlfriend of six months on January 22. He has since been fired by the NFL team.
The 27-year-old choked her then, she says, calmly ate dinner. She called police but it took three officers to subdue the football player, who is 6ft 7 and weighs 318lbs.
Taylor, who is 5ft 9, appeared on CBS This Morning on Wednesday to share more details of what happened, and to insist that Wheeler spend time in jail.
Her left arm is in a sling, one of her eyes is still bloodshot and she described having to undergo surgeries as a result of the attack but did not specify what those were.
Despite writing on Twitter that he had suffered a mental health episode, Wheeler pleaded not guilty to first degree domestic violence assault on January 25.
It is a Class A felony that faces a maximum sentence of life behind bars. He was released on a $400,000 bond and is now awaiting his next court date at home.
Chad Wheeler's ex girlfriend, Alleah Taylor shared photos of her injuries on Wednesday morning
Wheeler, a Seattle Seahawks lineman, attacked Alleah Taylor on January 22. He choked her then, she says, calmly ate dinner. She called police but it took three officers to subdue the football player who is 6ft 7 and weighs 318lbs.
Wheeler and Taylor dated for six months before the incident. She said they were 'best friends' until the January 22 incident and that he'd never hurt her before
Wheeler was fired by the Seahawks after the incident. His contract was due to expire anyway.
He said on Twitter that he was 'walking away from football' to get the help he needed 'to never pose another threat' again.
In her interview on Wednesday, Taylor, who is also 27 and described herself online as a media correspondent, said that she wasn't convinced his mental health was entirely to blame cause of the incident.
'He didn't take the same approach with the cops as he did with me,' she said.
The pair had been seeing each other for six months before the incident and were 'best friends', she said.
Wheeler, 27, was a lineman for the Seattle Seahawks
On January 22, the day began with him texting her to tell her he'd shaved his head. It was strange, she said, because he loved his long hair.
'He loved his long hair, refused to cut it. It surprised me and worried me.
'I came home and he was trying to play it off and then, as time went on, he started going downhill emotionally.
'He stood up and told me to bow down. I asked why. He did't respond then he said it again.
'I told him no and he immediately grabbed my neck and that's when things began,' she said.
Taylor said he then threw her on the bed and put his arms around her neck. She begged for her life.
'I remember looking at him asking, "please stop, Chad, it's me."
'I just immediately knew the look in his eyes, that was it,' she said.
At some point, she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she said she touched her face and felt blood, then ran to the bathroom to call 911, her relatives and hide from him.
'I had touched my face and I looked down and there was blood on my hand and I remember getting up and running to the bathroom.
'Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway and he was sipping his smoothie and was like "wow you’re still alive?"
'I was able to run to the bathroom, he went back into the living room to continue eating.
'I had texted his dad too and told him that Chad was trying to kill me, Chad’s dad called him while he was eating and while I was in the bathroom and he answered and he didn’t have any worry at all.
'Chad was like ‘I’m just eating dinner, nothing’s going on and that, that terrified me.
One of Taylor's eyes is still bloodshot, three weeks after the attack
She also still has her left arm in a sling. Taylor said she still has to go for check ups and she has undergone multiple surgeries
Wheeler, in court, on January 25. He shaved off his long hair before attacking Taylor
Wheeler, towering over everyone else in the courtroom on January 25. He was released on a $400,000 bond. Taylor went to the court hearing. She is shown, right, with her arm in a sling
Wheeler has pleaded not guilty but he made this statement on Twitter, apologizing for what he called a 'manic episode'
Taylor said she and Chad were 'best friends' before the attack and that he'd never been violent before
Taylor said she feels grateful to be alive. She describes herself as a media correspondent on social media pages that have been deleted since the attack
She also texted Chad's father, telling him that she thought he was about to kill her.
The father phoned Chad and Taylor says she heard them having a calm conversation, during which Chad said everything was 'fine'.
'He went and ate dinner after doing this to me.
'He didn't take the same approach with the cops as he did with me,' she said on Wednesday, when asked if his mental health was entirely to blame.
Taylor had to undergo surgery after the attack and she still has a bloodshot eye.
She went to court on January to watch him plead not guilty.
'I didn't want him to think that he had that power over me that I wasn't going to defend myself. I thought how easy would that be for him and his legal team to be able to say whatever they want without having to look me in the eye,' she said.
Asked if he should go to jail, she said: 'Yes - yes. I definitely do think that he should.
'The hardest part of all this wasn't the surgeries or any of that. It was getting a call from my niece and nephews.
'They thought they had lost me. The pain in their voice.
'I will never forget that. I will never forget that.
'I really feel like god has blessed me with another chance. I want to use the time to get the story out and make sure people don't feel alone,' she said.
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