Days after an explosive report by Reuters and his subsequent resignation from Liberty University, emergency services were called to the residence of Jerry Falwell Jr. after he injured himself while intoxicated.
Becki Falwell had reportedly called 9-1-1 seeking help for her husband at 2:30am on August 31. She described him as "losing a lot of blood right now."
The entire incident sounds both horrific and questionable.
The Falwells are influential Evangelical Christian leaders, backers of President Donald Trump, and leaders at Liberty University, an Evangelical Christian College embroiled in its own turmoil.
Becki had received a call from her husband at 11:00 PM while she was at church. When she arrived at home, the doors were locked, and she was forced to use a chair to break through the back door.
When the dispatcher asked if Jerry had been drinking, Becki responded, "Yes." When the dispatcher asked if he had been drinking heavily, she refused to answer.
The dispatcher explained why the question was important, but Becki still refused to answer.
In the recording she says:
"The more I tell you the name, the more you're going to understand why we're not talking to you right now."
This leads to a lot of questions.
Jerry Falwell Jr.'s fall from grace has been swift. The 911 call came the night before Liberty University announced their intent to have a full investigation into Falwell's tenure as president.
The school has strict rules about sex and alcohol, both of which were in play in the scandal Falwell found himself in before his resignation from the school.
His tenure saw the school become a powerhouse in Christian politics, as well as very financially successful. However, it's also marred in controversy ranging from Falwell's personal vices, to accusations of self-dealing in real estate deals, to even political corruption.
This is probably why the news about Falwell has elicited little sympathy.
The Falwells have not commented on the 9-1-1 call, but last month, Jerry said he was seeking mental help for his alcohol abuse.
