Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died early Thursday morning from injuries suffered when he "came out" of the back of a pickup during a domestic dispute in northern Charlotte, according to police.
Police said he died at 6:36 a.m. at Carolinas Medical Center where he had been taken early Wednesday afternoon. Police haven't released a cause of death.
Officers were called to Oakdale Road near Interstate 85 just before noon Wednesday in reference to a “person down.” When officers arrived, they found Henry, 26, in the road with life-threatening injuries.
Paramedics transported Henry to Carolinas Medical Center, where he was treated overnight, according to police.
Police said Henry was involved in a “domestic situation” with his fiancee on Peachtree Road. They wouldn't identify her but said she got into a pickup and drove away from the home. As she was driving, police said, Henry jumped into the bed of the truck.
The domestic dispute continued between Henry and his fiancee and at some point, Henry “came out” of the back of the vehicle, police said. But they refused to elaborate on whether Henry fell or might have been forced out of the truck.
A woman who answered the door at the Peachtree house and identified herself as the mother of Henry's fiancée Wednesday said the couple had been staying at the home while Henry was on injured reserve.
They were making plans for their wedding, said the woman, who wouldn't give her name. In a statement on its website, the Bengals said the couple planned to marry in March.
The woman said she wasn't home at the time of the dispute, and wasn't sure what happened. But late Wednesday, she said her daughter was at Henry's bedside at the hospital. Carolinas Medical wouldn't release any information about Henry's condition.
The Cincinnati Enquirer identified Henry's fiancee as Loleini Tonga and said the couple has three children, all under age four. Tonga, 25, graduated from West Charlotte High School in 2002 and was a standout volleyball player who led the Lions her junior and senior seasons. She also played volleyball at N.C. A&T.
The two-story Peachtree home is owned by the Tonga family, according to property records. On Wednesday evening, there was a black Ford Excursion Krystal limousine parked out front, and deep tire tracks in the front yard.
Jessie Clanton, 19, a neighbor, said she didn't hear anything unusual Wednesday afternoon but knew that Henry was staying there.
“I see limos going up and down all the time,” she said.
Henry was found by police about half a mile from the Peachtree Road house on a curvy section of Oakdale Road.
Read more at CharlotteObserver.com
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