Texas authorities have closed their investigation into the drowning death of Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s 1-year-old son after reporting no criminal findings, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
“The incident was thoroughly investigated by detectives, and their finding were no criminal findings. The case is now closed,” the sheriff’s office said Monday.
The child was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a residence in the 500 block of Lago Trace Drive in northeast Harris County, outside Houston, on June 28.
The toddler, also named Ed, was just days shy of his second birthday. Oliver has requested privacy and prayers as his family mourns.
“On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son,” Beane said in a statement released by the team. “It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.”
Quarterback Josh Allen also discussed the loss after Buffalo’s 31-7 preseason victory over Cleveland, saying Oliver’s teammates would be there for him.
“Obviously, very unfortunate what happened and as a teammate of him, as someone in this locker room, all we can do is love on him,” Allen said. “There’s nothing that you can say to make the situation any better except being there in whatever ways he needs.”
Allen said the team would continue to rally around Oliver as he grieves.
“That’s what we’re going to continue to do. That’s what teammates do. You love up on each other when we’re down, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through,” Allen said. “But the way that he’s dealt with it has been unbelievable.”
Oliver, 28, reported for training camp on time and appeared with Buffalo’s starters in its preseason-opening 29-14 victory over Carolina. He later missed a week of practices because of an injury.