The fight over whether Shilo Sanders can wipe out an $11.89 million debt returned to a Denver courtroom Monday, reviving sharply different accounts of his 2015 confrontation with former school security guard John Darjean.

The trial comes after a lawsuit filed against Shilo in 2016 by his former school’s security guard, John Darjean, who accused Shilo of assaulting and permanently injuring his spine on September 17, 2015. According to Darjean, Deion had asked him to take Shilo’s phone because he didn’t want his son to talk to his mother.

A trial for the case already took place in Dallas in 2022, when Darjean won it as a default judgment, as Sanders didn’t come to the proceedings. Darjean was also awarded the judgment amount of $11.89 million from Shilo. But instead of paying the debt, Shilo filed for bankruptcy in 2023 to erase the debt.

Days before the Denver trial began, Deion Sanders publicly insisted that his son had “already won” the case and had been awarded money. He said he was looking forward to Shilo being able to “tell his story” once the matter was over.

But Shilo did not win the civil case brought by Darjean. The former school security guard received the $11.89 million default judgment in 2022 after Shilo failed to appear, and that judgment is the debt Shilo is now seeking to erase through bankruptcy.

Deion may have been referring to a separate 2019 confidential settlement involving Shilo, his former school, Focus Learning Academy, and its founder, Leroy McClure. However, that settlement did not resolve Darjean’s claims or affect the judgment at issue in the bankruptcy proceedings.

According to Shilo, he was unaware of the trial taking place since he had fired his attorneys and didn’t show up/ respond to any notices about the trial.

Now, the only way for Shilo to get out of clearing the debt is through bankruptcy. According to Section 523 of the bankruptcy law, if the debt stems from a “willful and malicious injury,” Shilo will owe Darjean the amount he was awarded in the civil trial. However, the judge who took over the trial in 2022 found that “Shilo Sanders did in fact cause physical harm and injuries to John Darjean by assaulting him.”

Since the words  “willful and malicious injury” were missing, the bankruptcy trial has taken a legal turn. In a pretrial statement filed earlier, Sanders “contends that his actions were justified in that any force used by (Sanders) was reasonable and immediately necessary to protect himself against (Darjean’s) own use or attempted use of improper force.”

In another turn, some witnesses have testified in favor of Darjean, with one stating that Shilo “punched him right in the face,” while another added that “his elbow caught John on the chest.”

Meanwhile, one of Sanders’ attorneys, Victor Vital, argued that Shilo was “overpowered” by Darjean and acted in self-defense. Meanwhile, Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael, claimed that his client “has never touched a man” in 10 years, and therefore it couldn’t be an act of self-defense.

Since the case remains a bench trial, it will not be heard by a jury and instead will be decided by Judge Michael E. Romero. According to reports, videos of the previous testimony held in Darjean’s Texas lawsuit will be used as evidence. Meanwhile, Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael, in July told the Judge that “he will bring the popcorn; there’s going to be a lot of videos.”

Now that Day 1 of the case has finished, Shilo’s father Deion only hopes that the truth will come out soon for everyone to see.

Deion comments on Shilo’s trial

As Shilo Sanders’ bankruptcy trial began Monday, Deion Sanders said he was praying that people would see “what really transpired” during the 2015 confrontation with John Darjean.

Addressing those who have judged his son’s actions, the Colorado Buffaloes coach added, “We going to forgive you for your judgment.”

The trial comes at a difficult point in Shilo’s football career. The former Colorado safety signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2025 NFL Draft but was waived before the start of the regular season. He has continued to pursue another NFL opportunity, though he said he would turn his attention to music if he did not receive an offer before the 2026 season.

Darjean, meanwhile, is living in the Dominican Republic after undergoing another spinal surgery in May, which he has linked to the 2015 incident. He was also a minor-league outfielder in the New York Yankees organization in 1997.

The five-day bench trial before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Romero is expected to determine whether Shilo can discharge Darjean’s $11.89 million judgment or whether the debt will survive bankruptcy as one tied to a willful and malicious injury.