Dalvin Cook Accused of Assault, Battery, and False Imprisonment

Ajit Narasimhan |

Nov 10, 2021

Gracelyn Trimble, a Sgt. 1st Class in the U.S. Army and former girlfriend of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, filed a three-count complaint in Dakota District Court which included graphic pictures and text messages alleging that Cook “grabbed her arm, and slung her whole body over the couch, slamming her face into the coffee table and causing her lower forehead and the bridge of her nose to bust open and start gushing blood,” according to the civil complaint.

Cook and Trimble allegedly met on a Florida beach in 2018 and began an off-and-on sometimes rocky relationship, according to the lawsuit filed. Trimble flew to Minnesota on November 19, 2020 to break up with Cook and get her things from his Inver Grove Heights home. She entered through the garage, grabbing mace she stored there on her way in, the complaint noted.

While Cook and his agent Zac Hiller have denied any wrongdoing on the part of the pro bowl running back, the lawsuit paints a vastly different picture of the situation. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, tweeted that “Minnesota Vikings’ RB Dalvin Cook is the victim of domestic abuse and extortion — there’s pending litigation, according to his agent Zac Hiller,” presumably at the behest of Cook.

According to the complaint, Cook allegedly “punched and choked Trimble, and then grabbed a gun he kept in his bedroom and pointed it at Trimble’s head, all while yelling death threats.” Cook allegedly also attempted to “throw her [Trimble] down the staircase.”

Neither Trimble nor Cook called the police or filed a report about the night in dispute. The lawsuit includes text messages purportedly from Cook to Trimble saying, “I know what I did can’t be rewind…If you wanna go to the police I’ll respect that I’ll take my punishment for what I did!”

Graphic pictures, and text message exchanges were attached as exhibits to the complaint. While assault and battery are normally terms and charges reserved for a criminal complaint, they also can be alleged and litigated on a civil level, as is the case here.

There has been no criminal indictment at this time based on the allegations contained in the complaint, however, and based on the fact that this allegedly occurred from November 2020 until the summer of 2021, state prosecutors could theoretically elect to charge Cook for the events he allegedly committed.

The Vikings released a statement to the Star Tribune, saying they “recently received notification from Dalvin Cook’s legal representative regarding a situation that occurred between Dalvin and a female acquaintance in November 2020 and led to an ongoing dispute between the parties. Upon learning of this, we immediately notified the NFL. We are in the process of gathering more information and will withhold further comment at this time.” Trimble and Cook continued to see each other off and on until permanently splitting in May, 2021, the Star Tribune added.

Cook is no stranger to law enforcement encounters. When the Vikings selected Cook in the 2017 draft, the choice was made despite concerns about allegations from his time at Florida State, according to the Star Tribune. Cook was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly punching a woman outside a bar, though a jury acquitted him in August 2015.

For now, the NFL will be taking no action as to Cook, Pro Football Talk reports. “The matter will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk via email. “We will continue to monitor developments but there’s no change to his status as this is a civil complaint.”