Former Indianapolis Colts Lineman Joe Staysniak Arrested After Hitting Son, Choking Son’s Boyfriend

Police arrested Joe Staysniak, who served as an offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts in the 1990s, early Tuesday morning for allegedly punching his son and his son’s boyfriend.

The Hendricks County Sherriff’s Department was called at near midnight on Monday to the home of Staysniak’s son, Lucas, over a “delayed domestic” incident. Early Tuesday morning, at 1:40 a.m., county records show that Staysniak had been charged with “battery, pointing a firearm, intimidation, strangulation, and domestic battery.”

Lucas told police that his 56-year-old father, who served as a sports radio personality on WFNI’s The Fan Morning Show until 2021, forced his way into his parked car and began assaulting him and his boyfriend.

“Lucas advised that his father opened the rear right passenger door and that when he did his he [sic] grabbed [passenger’s] hood and was choking him,” the affidavit read, per the New York Post. “Lucas stated that his father then punched him, causing his lip to bleed and then punched [passenger]. Lucas stated that his father then displayed a firearm and told he and [passenger] that they’re lucky he saw who it was.”

Staysniak said that the altercation began after he received “a call from a neighbor advising him there was a suspicious car in their front yard,” further claiming that his son “tried to attack him.”

“The passenger told police that Staysniak pulled out a gun during the incident and had it ‘against the side of this face at one point,'” added the Post. “Staysniak admitted to law enforcement that he did show a gun during the altercation but denied pointing it or touching anyone with it.”

Staysniak entered the NFL in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft before making his debut with the 1991 Buffalo Bills, spending one year with the Kansas City Chiefs and then three years for the Indianapolis Colts. He retired in 1996 after a year with the Arizona Cardinals. He started in 33 of the 63 games he played throughout his career.

Fans most remember Staysniak from when he recovered a fumble during the 1995 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts eventually lost 20-16.