DALLAS — Yaqub Talib, the brother of former NFL player Aqib Talib, was formally sentenced to 37 years in prison in the murder of a North Texas youth football coach during a game last year.
Yaqub Talib's trial had been set for Aug. 7, but Talib, instead, took a plea deal for 37 years in prison, according to officials.
Yaqub Talib was accused of shooting and killing coach Mike Hickmon. Talib turned himself in days after the shooting.
In court Monday, Yaqub Talib was formally sentenced by a judge in a hearing that was followed by victim impact statements from Hickmon's family.
"You killed innocence," Hickmon's wife, Kenyetta, said during her statement. "You killed souls, hopes, dreams, of not just my kids but of the 30 or 40 other kids who were there. Who does that? How did you think that was right?"
Yaqub Talib was arrested and charged for the Aug. 13, 2022, incident during a youth football game in Lancaster. Video from the incident showed a brawl between adults during the game that ultimately led to a shooting.
"I'll never be healed," Kenyetta Hickmon said Monday. "I still ask myself every day, 'Why?' My kids say, 'Why, mama? Why?' I have no answers. Why would someone take a life from kids?"
Prior to the trial beginning, a Dallas County court had given the prosecution permission to use Talib's previous offenses in the murder trial. Those offenses included aggravated assault, unlawful carrying of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
Hickmon's family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Talib and Big 12 Youth Sports League. The family is seeking $1 million in damages and is calling for a jury trial.
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