PHOENIX — Former Chicago Bears star, Michael Richardson, was arrested by Phoenix police on murder charges, according to multiple sources.
Phoenix police confirm Richardson, 59, was locked up Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of 47-year-old Ronald Like.
Investigators say Like was found shot and killed Tuesday morning near 40th Street and Van Buren.
Sources confirm to ABC15 the suspect is the same Michael Richardson who was an All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl Champion with the famed 1985 Chicago Bears, immortalized in the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’ video.
In the catchy song, Richardson has a solo, singing, "I'm LA Mike and I play it cool. They don't sneak by me because I'm no fool." The Compton native played college football in Arizona as a standout All-American at Arizona State University.
The arrest in connection to the murder is the most serious crime Richardson has ever been tied to, but it is far from his first time behind bars.
Richardson has been arrested by Phoenix police twice in 2020, both times for alleged drug possession. He was arrested and locked up in Maricopa County in 2018, accused of theft and possessing meth, crack cocaine, and heroin.
According to prior reports from ESPN and the Chicago Tribune, Richardson had been convicted of more than 20 crimes by 2008.
He was living in Southern California at the time, before moving back to Chicago around 2010. More recently, his address has been listed at a gated community in East Mesa, according to court documents. He also had a felony warrant out for his arrest, which police added to the booking charges this week.
Richardson has not gone before a judge yet for an initial appearance. He was arrested and booked for murder, misconduct involving weapons, and a felony warrant.
ABC15 will continue to update this story as we learn more.
