Former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-champion linebacker Otis Wilson was involved in an altercation with a female and male security officer at Soldier Field on Sunday during a dispute about elevator usage at the conclusion of Chicago's game against the New York Jets.
In response to a question from ESPN about the incident with Wilson, Monterrey Security, the company contracted by Soldier Field on Bears game days, said that Wilson was not wearing credentials, and after a female officer "politely" directed him to use a different elevator bank, he "forced his way onto the elevator" and then became "physically combative and violently attacked" the female officer. "He aggressively threw the female officer into a wall," the statement said, "leaving a large hole in the wall."
In a statement to ESPN, Wilson said he and his wife entered an elevator with media personnel to leave Soldier Field and were both "assaulted by private security personnel."
"Before being able to identify myself as a former Chicago Bears player and attempt to explain why we were there," Wilson said in the statement, "a security guard approached us and the guard physically assaulted my wife."
Wilson said he was then also assaulted by the two security contractors and was then transported by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for evaluation and released that night.
Per Monterrey Security, the female officer, a 5-foot-4 off-duty law enforcement officer who has worked at Soldier Field since 2024, was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries, "which include substantial bruising and injuries to her ribs and arms."
The Chicago Police Department confirmed to ESPN that officers responded to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to take a report for the incident that occurred at Soldier Field, and there is an active investigation.
Both Wilson and Monterrey Security said they will cooperate with law enforcement and any official review.
Multiple reporters, including from ESPN, witnessed the moments that preceded the altercation. Wilson, 69, and his wife, Tina, boarded an elevator on suite level A, near the press box. The elevator was intended for media use only and contained credentialed reporters when Wilson and his wife were the last to enter. A female security officer asked Wilson and his wife to leave the elevator because it was reserved for media use only. Wilson did not respond to her request. She asked him again to leave the elevator and then told him that the elevator would not be moving until he got off. Wilson said, "OK then" and did not move. A reporter on the elevator said, "Come on, we have a job to do."
The female security officer then got onto the elevator to physically pull Tina Wilson and then Otis Wilson off the elevator. Tina Wilson walked off the elevator and a male security officer then came to help the female officer remove Otis Wilson from the elevator. The elevator doors shut for several seconds, while ESPN reporters heard the sound of a forceful impact behind the doors. When the doors reopened on the same floor, ESPN reporters saw the female security officer on the ground next to the wall.
Monterrey Security declined to identify Wilson or the security officers involved by name due to company policy, but said in an email to ESPN, "there were no other physical altercations on Suite Level A outside of the elevator designated for media."
In the statement provided to ESPN, Monterrey Security said the "violent incident" ended when the male officer "intervened, [and] separated the offender from the female officer."
Wilson said he was working for the Bears in an official capacity as an ambassador Sunday before the game and participated in two pregame appearances. He has been attending Bears home games at Soldier Field regularly since he retired from a 10-year NFL career in 1989.
The Bears did not respond to a request for comment.
"No one, whether a former player, a season ticket holder, or a first-time visitor, should ever be subjected to this kind of treatment at a public venue," Wilson said in his statement to ESPN. "A misunderstanding about access to an area should never escalate to physical violence, least of all against a woman who posed no threat to anyone.
"Soldier Field has been part of my life for many years, and my relationship with the Chicago Bears and with this city's fans remains as strong as ever. This incident does not reflect the Bears organization or the people of Chicago. It reflects the conduct of specific individuals working for a private contractor, and that conduct must be addressed.
"I am asking the Chicago Park District and its security contractor, Monterrey Security, to preserve all surveillance and body camera footage of the incident, to conduct a full and transparent investigation, and to hold the individuals responsible accountable."
Monterrey Security declined to provide video footage that they used to review the incident and said in an email to ESPN that they are "unable to discuss any evidence that is part of an active police investigation."