Brother of late NFL player-turned-war hero Pat Tillman jailed in California post office crash

The family of NFL player-turned-war hero Pat Tillman acknowledged Monday that his brother Richard Tillman was arrested and accused of driving into a California post office Sunday.

No one was injured in the collision at 2:30 a.m. in San Jose, but the crash damaged the building and may have destroyed some mail, San Jose Fire Battalion Chief Josh Staley said.

Richard Tillman, 44, of San Jose, was being held in lieu of $60,000 bail after his arrest Sunday, according to Santa Clara County inmate records. San Jose police said he was arrested on suspicion of arson.

Fire officials said the collision appeared to have sparked a blaze at the post office that was knocked down about 90 minutes after the first reports of the crash.

In a statement to NBC Bay Area on behalf of the Tillman family, Kevin Tillman acknowledged the suspect is his brother Richard Tillman.

The statement expressed relief that no one was injured and said Richard Tillman had been suffering from mental health problems.

“To be clear, it’s no secret that Richard has been battling severe mental health issues for many years,” Kevin Tillman said, noting that his brother’s issues have been on display “for anyone to witness” via his livestreams.

“Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult — or rather, impossible,” Kevin Tillman said. “As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be.”

Richard Tillman was scheduled to be in court for the matter Wednesday. It’s not clear whether he has legal counsel for the case.

The Pat Tillman Foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

Last week, Los Angeles firefighter David Walters and firefighter-paramedic Erin Regan accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service at ESPN’s 2025 ESPYs at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Months after the attacks of 9/11, Pat Tillman put his successful NFL career as a safety with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to enlist in the Army with Kevin Tillman, a move that made national news.

Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire on the night of April 22, 2004, amid his efforts to provide cover as fellow Army Rangers in eastern Afghanistan were being ambushed. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. He is widely hailed as example of public service and sacrifice for the United States in the 21st century.