Florida State University is really going to have rethink that mandatory krav maga class for its football players. For the second time this offseason a key Seminole player, this time starting running back Dalvin Cook, has been indefinitely suspended after an arrest for punching a 21-year-old woman outside of a bar in June.
“Florida State Athletics announced today the indefinite suspension of sophomore Dalvin Cook from the football team following a misdemeanor battery charge,” FSU said in a statement. “Athletics will have no further comment at this time.”
They should have plenty of comments, really. In fact, FSU’s communications department should be experts at this point in speaking about player arrests, assaults and alleged rapes. As of right now there’s no video of the incident.
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If Dalvin Cook is charged with misdemeanor battery, he'd face up to 1 year in jail and up to $1K fine if convicted. https://t.co/f8faSJUI49
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) July 10, 2015
Cook is the second Florida State player to be suspended for punching a woman in and around a bar. Freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson was arrested for punching a 21-year-old woman at a bar after she’d already punched him in the face. Cook’s punch happened the day before, June 23.
Late Friday a warrant was issued by Florida State attorney Willie Meggs for Cook’s arrest. Cook rushed for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns last season for the Seminoles and caught 22 passes for 203 yards.
Meggs told ESPN that the two women who spoke to him, one them his alleged victim, presented him with photos of her injuries.
“I found the women to be very credible,” Meggs said.
Cook has been charged with misdemeanor battery.
If Cook’s name is familiar in the Tallahassee crime beat it’s because he was one of the FSU football players implicated in the historic BB-Gun battle that became just one of many red flags for then quarterback Jameis Winston.
There was more bad news for Johnson Friday too. In spite of the fact that the video capturing the incident plainly shows the woman threatening Johnson and then punching him first, Meggs believes that the girl was defending herself. She will not be charged.
https://twitter.com/TomahawkNation/status/619576906174693377
“A person is entitled to use self-defense if they’re being battered by someone else,” Meggs said. “And she was certainly entitled to do what she did. She didn’t commit a crime is the reason she’s not charged with a crime.”
Johnson faces a misdemeanor battery charge himself.
Johnson’s attorney has a different version of the story, that he “tried to de-escalate the situation” after the woman yelled racial slurs at him, then struck him.
Five other Florida State players have been subpoenaed to testify as witnesses in that investigation. Linebacker Jacob Pugh, tight end Mavin Sanders, defensive back Malique Jackson, offensive lineman Wilson Bell and wide receiver will all be required to give statements at least in the investigation.
You can view a copy of Johnson’s arrest affidavit by clicking here.
One thing is almost assured by both these arrests and investigations, Division II North Alabama is going to be loaded next season.
