Former UFC champion B.J. Penn was arrested for the third time in the span of just six days on Friday, although he was later released on bail.
This most recent arrest stemmed from Penn`s failure to appear in court. His non-appearance constituted a violation of the conditions set for his previous bail, which was granted after he was taken into custody on two separate occasions due to allegations of abuse against a family or household member. Consequently, a bench warrant was issued for his apprehension.
Penn faced two bail violations resulting from those earlier arrests and was ultimately released from custody again after posting a $2,000 bond.
According to a separate report from KHON2 in Hawaii, Penn had sought to have the bench warrant rescinded, claiming he was unable to attend court because he was sick with COVID-19. Evidently, the judge did not accept this explanation, leading to his subsequent arrest.
In related legal proceedings, a judge also denied Penn’s petition for a restraining order against his mother, Lorraine Shin. The judge ruled that his allegations “do not establish a basis for relief.” This marks the second time Penn’s attempt to obtain a restraining order against his mother has been unsuccessful, following a series of unsettling social media posts where he claimed several family members had been killed and replaced by imposters.
While Penn`s request was rejected, his mother successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against him. The order requires him to maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from her at all times. In her application, she detailed how he had inflicted “extreme psychological abuse” upon her.
In her initial filing, Shin alleged that Penn had acted aggressively towards her multiple times in recent weeks. These claims included accusations that he put glue in a lock on her door, preventing her from entering her bedroom, and that he allegedly stole her mail. The latter incident, she claimed, escalated into an altercation that led to his arrest.
In her statement to the court, Shin described an incident where Penn allegedly used a bright flashlight to blind her, attempting to stop her from calling the police after she saw her mail in the backseat of a vehicle driven by one of his friends. When she tried to retrieve the mail, Shin claimed Penn grabbed her arms and shoved her against the car, prompting her to scream for help from his brother, Reagan Penn.
Shin stated to police when filing for the restraining order: “I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome (a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, other close family member has been replaced by an identical imposter). He believes I’m an imposter who has killed his family to gain control of the family assets.”
She further requested: “In the best interest for my safety, I ask the court for a six month [temporary restraining order] and have my son ordered to get medical treatment or other source of therapy.”
The judge granted the temporary restraining order, and the next court hearing is scheduled for June 10.
Concerns about the 46-year-old`s mental health have been raised, partly due to his numerous online posts claiming his family members were murdered and replaced by imposters. The former UFC champion also shared a video online depicting his initial arrest this past Sunday, the first of three times he was taken into custody in under a week.
