The younger brother of former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman was arrested after crashing his vehicle into a post office.
Richard Tillman was booked on suspicion of arson in San Jose, California, on Sunday, July 20.
“Shortly after 3 a.m. the San Jose Fire and Police Departments responded to reports of a vehicle on fire in the box lobby area at the Almaden Valley Station Post Office,” the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in a statement. “The fire was extinguished with no injuries.”
Richard, 44, remains in jail and is being held without bail.
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Federal investigators told ABC News they are aware of and investigating spray-painted words found on the exterior of the post office building and claims that Richard live-streamed the incident.
“Investigators are investigating as an intentional act,” Postal Inspector Matthew Norfleet told ABC News. “It will, of course, be determined in a court of law whether or not it was. But it does not look like an accident so far.”
A woman who lives nearby the post office said she was startled awake by “explosions sounds.”
“I looked out the window and the post office was in flames,” Heather Roberts told ABC News. “When we went outside, there was a man standing in the parking lot with a bunch of belongings.”
A photo of Pat was visible in a box that was left near the scene.
Tillman, a former star safety for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, was killed during combat while working as a U.S. Army Ranger in Afghanistan in 2004. He was 27 years old.
The football player was motivated to enlist after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
“At times like this you stop and think about just how good we have it, what kind of system we live in, and the freedoms we are allowed,” Pat said at the time, according to his foundation’s website. “A lot of my family has gone and fought in wars and I really haven’t done a damn thing.”
Pat enlisted alongside his older brother, Kevin, who left his role with Major League Baseball’s then-Anaheim Angels to join the armed forces.
To honor Pat’s legacy, the ESPY Awards created the Pat Tillman Award for Service, which recognizes a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes Pat’s legacy.
Controversy was stirred last year when ESPN announced Prince Harry as the recipient of the award.
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“I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” Pat’s mother, Mary, told the Daily Mail in June 2024. “There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.”
Despite the feedback, ESPN stood by their decision to give the award to Harry for cofounding the Invictus Games, an international event featuring both active and veteran service members competing in a variety of sporting events.
“While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” ESPN said in a statement to Us Weekly.
At the 2025 ESPYs earlier this month, the Pat Tillman Award for Service was presented to Los Angeles County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan.
