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Yaqub Talib, Brother of Former N.F.L. Star, Killed Youth Coach, Police Say

A brother of the former N.F.L. cornerback Aqib Talib is facing a murder charge after he fatally shot a youth football coach during an argument at a game in Lancaster, Texas, last weekend, the authorities said.

Mr. Talib’s brother Yaqub S. Talib, 39, turned himself in at the Dallas County Jail on Monday, after a warrant charging him with murder was issued, according to a statement from the Lancaster Police Department.

The police said that at 8:50 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a shooting at a community park in Lancaster, which is less than 20 miles south of downtown Dallas. There, they found Michael Hickmon, of Lancaster, the coach of the Dragons Elite Academy, who had been shot in his chest, back and forearm, they said.

Mr. Hickmon, 43, was taken to Methodist Central Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the police said.

It is unclear what specifically led to the shooting, but according to the police, several witnesses said that there had been a disagreement between the opposing coaching staffs of the Dragons Elite Academy and the team it was playing, the North Dallas United Bobcats, “over calls made by the officiating crew.”

According to the police, witnesses said that the disagreement turned into a fight, and Mr. Talib pulled out a black semiautomatic handgun and shot Mr. Hickmon “multiple times.” Mr. Talib then got in an unidentified vehicle and fled, the police said.

Yaqub Salik Talib, brother of the retired N.F.L. cornerback Aqib Talib, is facing a murder charge after a fatal shooting at a youth football game in Lancaster, Texas, over the weekend.Credit…Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, via Associated Press

No other injuries were reported, they said, adding that the circumstances leading up to the shooting remained under investigation. The police declined to comment further.

On the day of the shooting, Mr. Hickmon had been coaching a team of 9-year-olds, said Michael Freeman, the president of the 9U division of the Dragons team. Mr. Freeman said that following a disagreement between the Bobcats and the referees, the game had been called off.

Mr. Hickmon had crossed the field to retrieve the football, which someone kicked, leading to a “scuffle,” according to Mr. Freeman. “That’s when the young man pulled his weapon out,” he said, adding that he believed he had heard about five shots.

“I was past shocked; it just didn’t make sense to me why or how it would escalate that fast,” Mr. Freeman said.

He said that many of the children who had witnessed the shooting were now receiving counseling. “Everybody is trying to stay together and help each other.”

Mr. Freeman said that Aqib Talib, the retired N.F.L. player, also coaches for the Bobcats and was present at Saturday’s game. The 36-year-old retired cornerback is a five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos who retired in 2020 after 12 seasons. He recently joined Amazon TV’s “Thursday Night Football” as an analyst.

On Thursday, Yaqub Talib’s lawyer, Clark Birdsall, said that his client remained in jail, awaiting a bond hearing. He said that he had interviewed more than 10 witnesses, and believed that the argument had been instigated by Mr. Hickmon.

“Yaqub Talib acted in self-defense and defense of others,” Mr. Birdsall said. “My client is not guilty. He looks forward to the day when he can have his day in court.”

Efforts to reach Aqib Talib for comment on Thursday were not immediately successful.

Tevar Watson, the owner of the Bobcats, said that he had not witnessed the shooting. “He was a good father and he was a real stand up guy,” Mr. Watson said of Mr. Hickmon. “There’s no place in youth sports for anyone to lose their life.”

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