In a raw and revealing YouTube video, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom Andrew Wiltse pulled back the curtain on a deeply personal struggle: a manic episode in early 2025 that led to hospitalization and a chaotic confrontation with law enforcement.
Known for his explosive finishes and relentless pace on the mats, Wiltse described how his mental health crisis left police officers struggling to physically restrain him—a stark reminder of the intersection between elite athleticism and psychological vulnerability.
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“I was looking at the sky, contemplating life” Wiltse shared, reflecting on the incident. “I kinda like sat down in the parking lot and three cops approached me.”
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A Grappler’s Strength Meets Mental Health Crisis: Andrew Wiltse vs Cops
According to Wiltse, the incident unfolded when he became aware that police officers were approaching him on account of walking around town and talking to himself. After many reports by concerned citizens, police arrived to try and figure out what was troubling Wiltse.
Initially, he went willingly with the law enforcement officials to a nearby hospital, as Andrew Wiltse recalls:
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“They drove me to one of the hospitals because they were concerned,”
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Officers reportedly attempted to de-escalate the situation verbally, but Wiltse’s heightened physicality, honed through years of combat sports, turned the encounter volatile after he tried to leave the hospital, but was not allowed:
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“They tried to stop me from walking out but none of them were willing to tackle me or tase me…yet. One of them puts their hand on my shoulder and says ‘You’re going to come inside with us,’”
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Understandably, this was a lot easier for the officers to declare than do. The altercation began quietly before Andrew Wiltse showed why he is one of the best, although things weren’t violent from the start, even though the officers introduced a taser to the mix after a while:
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“First guy comes at me and it just reminded me of like a sloppy Jiu-Jitsu wrestler trying to do a double leg that doesn’t really know how to do a double leg. I went from cool to now you’re having a rabid, world-champion honey badger “
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Interestingly enough, Wiltse dismissed the taser as ‘having no effect’ and was acting mainly on autopilot as he grappled almost a dozen officers and security guards at once. Wiltse managed to take the taser away from the officers but opted to discard it rather than make things worse by using it:
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“I thought about tasing him with it and I was just like is it just escalating don’t do it and I threw the taser away.”
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Eventually, Andrew Wiltse was hospitalized and sedated. No serious injuries were reported, but the incident once again demonstrated how difficult it is for undertrained law enforcement to deal with someone who has professional combat sports training.
Andrew Wiltse Manic Episode Reflections
After the fact, Andrew Wiltse, who is now medicated after willingly seeking professional treatment and care, shared that he is not hiding his episode and welcomes the effects it has had on him:
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“I’m not really ashamed of the fact that I had a manic episode,” and added that “The cops in Mount Vernon handled me with superb kid gloves, and I love them very much for the way that they did not like, shoot me okay, they’re great!”
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The Bigger Picture: Mental Health in Combat Sports
Wiltse’s story has ignited conversations across the grappling community, where mental health struggles are often overshadowed by a culture of toughness.
Anxiety and mental health issues have been the main topic of research for many scientists lately, with the Journal of Combat Sports Medicine offering lots of studies and insights into what affects competitive combat sports athletes.
Most MMA/BJJ gyms lack mental health resources and few promotions screen athletes for psychological well-being. Sometimes, the results of ignoring the signs can be huge, as was the case of Andrew Wiltse.
Now stabilized on medication and in therapy, Wiltse has issued a message to his fans:
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“Yeah, hashtag ‘never again stay medicated’.”
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The Illinois native plans to return to competition in 2025 but admits his priorities might have shifted after the incident.
Even Tough Guys Need Someone Sometimes
Andrew Wiltse’s story is more than a headline—it’s a call to action for the grappling world to prioritize mental health as fiercely as armbars and gold medals. Wiltse is thankfully going to be okay, but only after he thought he was a god and had to be somewhat rudely awakened by law enforcement. It’d be ideal for others who might be struggling not to take things as far.
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