Sherrone Moore 'Mugshot' Is Likely Fake or AI: 'Don't Fall For It'
There is a supposed mugshot of fired University of Michigan coach Sherrone Moore going viral on social media, but a top local sports director says it's "fake/AI."
In addition, Men's Journal contacted the Washtenaw Sheriff's Department. That's the agency in Michigan that runs the jail that is holding Moore. The jail there has not released a mugshot of Moore and does not have one, officials told Men's Journal on December 11. In addition, the Pittsfield, MI, police say they have not released a mugshot of Moore, either. Those would be the likely agencies that would have a mugshot were one released.
What is true is that Moore was fired, arrested, and was still sitting in the jail on December 11. Officials there said he remained incarcerated on the morning of December 11. Although details of his arrest are scant, police wrote in a news release that they had arrested a man on an "assault" charge. ESPN and other top news sites have widely reported that this release refers to Moore.
The Sports Director Warned of the Viral 'Sherrone Moore Mugshot': 'Don't Fall For It'
Joey DeBerardino is the sports director for WDTN-TV in Dayton, OH. DeBerardino flagged the circulating mugshot as fake.
"The Sherrone Moore mugshot circulating on X is fake/AI. No official mugshot has been released by the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office as of now. There are obviously a ton of parody accounts releasing unverified information. Make sure you don’t fall for it," he wrote on X.
The fact that Moore was taken to jail in Michigan is verified by jail records accessed through VINE Link. VINE Link records for Michigan shows Sherrone Banfield Moore was in the custody of the Washtenaw Corrections Division after being booked at 8:30 p.m. ET on December 10.
Pittsfield Police Say They Took a 'Suspect' to Jail During an Investigation Into an 'Alleged Assault'
(Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Pittsfield police did release a statement after numerous media inquiries about Moore. Although it doesn't mention the coach, many prominent news sites, like ESPN, allege it refers to him.
“The Pittsfield Police Department responded to the above location at the above date and time for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. The Department has received multiple media requests for information,” a Pittsfield police statement says. “A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.”
Added the police statement: “The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor. At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details. Further details regarding the incident will be released as soon as permissible.” No charges had been filed against Sherrone Moore as of the morning of December 11.
The University of Michigan announced that it had fired Moore after "credible evidence" emerged that he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member," who was not named. "This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior," Michigan athletic department Warde Manuel said in a statement.