Arrest warrant issued in Florida for Lions cornerback Cam Sutton

An arrest warrant has been issued for Detroit Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton in Hillsborough County (Fla.) in relation to a March 7 domestic violence incident.

The warrant was made public by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Wednesday morning via the department's social media. Sutton is wanted for domestic battery by strangulation, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

"The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office needs your assistance in locating a wanted subject: Cameron Sutton, 29," the tweet read. "... He may be driving a Jeep Grand Wagoneer with a plate number of FL-AZ33QB."

A public affairs official for the Sheriff's Office offered a few more details on the troubles locating Sutton.

"What we can release, that our deputies are comfortable with, is on the 7th of March is when this occurred, around 4:35 in the morning is when we got a call," assistant chief communications officer Phil Martello told the Detroit News. "It was a domestic violence (call) and we're not comfortable to really say who (the victim) is.

"We tried to make contact with (Sutton)," Martello said. "We've called him, no answer. He's been ducking us. Our deputies have exhausted all leads here. He's got vehicles and a home in a county one over from us, and he's not been there, and we've not been able to catch him there. So, again, it seems like he's turned his phone off or gotten rid of his phone or something because we haven't been able to get ahold of him."

The criminal investigation is unfolding amid a paternity fight between Sutton and a Florida woman, according to Hillsborough County court records.

Sutton filed a petition against a 35-year-old woman in August 2022 that, among other goals, sought to determine paternity and establish parenting time. One docket entry indicates he filed an emergency request for parenting time during an “NFL bye week” in mid-October 2022, according to court records. At the time, Sutton played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose bye week was the first week of November.

Sutton’s lawyer listed in the court case is Jason Setchen, a Florida lawyer who specializes in representing athletes. Sutton’s agent referred calls about the criminal investigation to Setchen.

Setchen, whose website is www.athletedefender.com, could not be immediately reached for comment.

A final judgment of paternity was issued in February, and the case was active as recently as March 6 — one day before the alleged domestic violence incident — when the parties were scheduled for a Zoom hearing.

The docket hints at an ongoing disagreement.

Details were not immediately available, but Sutton filed a motion for contempt Feb. 13, according to the court docket.

The Lions released a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying: "We became aware of the ongoing legal situation involving Cam Sutton this morning. We will continue to monitor the situation and will not have further comment at this time."

Sutton joined the Lions as a free agent last offseason, signing a three-year, $33 million contract after spending his first six seasons with the Steelers. He started all 17 games and three playoff games for the Lions in 2023.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

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