Firefighters putting out a fire after a car crashed into a post office in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday morning.Credit…San Jose Fire Department
Richard Tillman, the brother of former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman, has been taken into custody after allegedly driving a car into the Almaden Valley Station Post Office in San Jose early Sunday morning, authorities confirmed.
According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), San Jose police and firefighters responded to reports of a burning vehicle inside the post office lobby around 3 a.m. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, and a man – identified as Richard Tillman – was detained at the scene, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
The suspect allegedly told officers he is Pat Tillman’s brother and claimed to have live-streamed the crash on a social media platform, local station KNTV reported. Officials are investigating the act as intentional.
Richard Tillman is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office booking records. The motive behind the incident remains unclear.
Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals safety, became a national hero after leaving a lucrative NFL contract to join the U.S. Army following the September 11 attacks. He was tragically killed in Afghanistan in 2004 in a friendly fire incident, a case that led to multiple military investigations.
The San Jose Fire Department reported that approximately 50 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. No injuries have been reported, but photos from the department show significant fire damage to the post office entrance.