Who is Dennis 'DJ' Hernandez? NFL star Aaron Hernandez's brother arrested for 'planning' school shootings
BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT: Dennis "DJ" Hernandez, the older brother of late NFL-star turned convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez, was reportedly arrested over concerns that he was allegedly planning school shootings at UConn and Brown University. As per Bristol Police Department documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Hernandez reportedly showed signs of being "gravely disabled and a danger to society" earlier in July.
Officials said that the arrest came after several people reported that Hernandez was showing signs of erratic behavior and sending alarming messages, including a text that allegedly read, "We're taking lives if s**t isn't paid up. It's been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations. They talked their way into this and it's almost point game," as per TMZ.
Cops also said that a woman, who claimed to be Hernandez's ex, said that the 36-year-old took her car to drive to Brown University and UConn and "went into a number of classrooms and buildings" instead of going to his scheduled July 7 court hearing over a separate case. Another person told officials that they believed he was allegedly traveling to campuses in order to plan school shootings. Hernandez allgedly posted threatening online messages on July 19, including one that read, "Will I kill? Absolutely, I've warned my enemies so pay up front."
What is known about Dennis "DJ" Hernandez?
Hernandez is the son of Dennis and Terri Valentine Hernandez, and Aaron's elder brother. He reportedly was a former UConn football player. He has a master’s degree in educational counseling and reportedly lives with his wife, Karen, and their two children in Tampa, Florida.
In a 2017 Sports Illustrated interview, Hernandez revealed that he previously worked on roofs in Wylie, Texas, where he owned a roofing company called High Rise Roofing. That same year, he was appointed the football coach in Ledyard High School in Connecticut. However, he resigned from his position citing "personal reasons," a year after his appointment.
As per online reports, Hernandez created an LLC in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, in 2018. The following year, his company, High Rise Roofing, appeared to be out of business. As per Sports Illustrated, he reportedly had trouble finding a full-time job as a football coach after Aaron’s arrest. "They don’t want the negative publicity. Which is completely fine. I understand. [But] I couldn’t get anything. I was trapped," he reportedly told the publication.
Hernandez was also vocal about his love for his brother and even wrote the book, 'The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother.' "I loved him. I love him… the whole thing is just so tragic," he reportedly told CBS while speaking about his brother in 2018. As per his Harper Collins bio, he also had coaching stints at Brown University (2011), The University of Miami (2012) and The University of Iowa (2013-14).
Several years after Aaron's conviction and death, Hernandez also got involved in legal troubles. Back in March, he was arrested for allegedly throwing a bag containing a brick and a handwritten note at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol. "To all media outlets. It’s about time you all realize [sic] the effect [sic] media has on all family members. Since you’re a worldwide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!" the note reportedly read. Earlier in July he was arrested once again for missing a court date related to the same case. Reports suggested that he was also arrested for leading officers on a wild car chase as well.
Why was Dennis "DJ" Hernandez arrested?
As per court documents, cops arrived at a residence Hernandez was at on July 19 before the beginning of a police standoff. Officials said that they attempted to get him out of the house but the latter told them he was "on foot, armed and that if we approached him, he would kill us all," TMZ reported. Shortly after, he exited the home but cops said he allegedly "began advancing towards the police with his hands outstretched to his side."
"He began yelling shoot me and disregarded the numerous police commands," authorities said in a statement. Hernandez was then tasered and fell to the ground before being taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Police said that he continued to make threats at the hospital and said he would kill "anyone who profited off of his brother Aaron." Cops said he "mentioned specifically ESPN, but not any people."
Hernandez was eventually released from the hospital. After being taken into the Bristol Police Department, he was booked on charges of threatening and breach of peace. He was held on a $250,000 bond and is due in court for a hearing on the latest case next week.