Brother of ex-NFL player Talib turns himself in after youth league football game killing

A brother of former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib shot to death a man at a Lancaster park on Saturday during a youth league football game, police said.

Yaqub Talib fired on the victim about 8:45 p.m. during a disagreement between the opposing coaching staff of two youth football teams over calls made by the officiating crew, Lancaster police said.

Yaqub Talib’s attorney, Clark Birdsall, told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV shortly before noon Monday that his client has turned himself in to authorities. Police confirmed he turned himself in at the Dallas County Jail.

Police said on Sunday that a judge had authorized a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of murder. The Dallas Morning News reported the relationship between Aqib Talib and Yaqub Talib.

Witnesses said Aqib Talib was at the game when the killing occurred, according to WFAA.

The victim, who authorities identified as as 43 year old Lancaster resident Michael Hickmon, was shot multiple times at a community park in the 1700 block of Jefferson Street. Hickman was taken to Methodist Central Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hickmon was a coach for the D.E.A. Dragons, the youth team’s president told WFAA.

“We saw one of our coaches laying down on the ground right there. It was tough,” Dragons’ president Mike Freeman told the television station. “More than just a coach. Great father, great man, great role model, great mentor.”

Hickmon played football at Maceo Smith High School and the University of North Texas. His 9-year-old son was one of dozen of kids on the field when he was shot, Freeman told WFAA.

“I held his son, Little Mike Jr., and I held him like my son, and it was very, very, very hard to hold him and console him because again — just letting him know that we’ll be there for him,” Freeman said.

After the shooting, Yaqub Talib, 39, fled in an unidentified vehicle, taking the gun with him, police said.

Both Talib brothers are coaches for the North Dallas United Bobcats, which was the other team playing at the time of the shooting, WFAA reported.

Aqib Talib attended Richardson Berkner High School. He retired from the NFL in 2020. He played for the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In June 2016, Aqib Talib was shot in the leg at a Dallas nightclub. The Dallas Morning News reported that police said Talib was one of two people who were shot during an altercation at the Vlive club. The other victim also suffered a non-life-threatening injury.