|
Two days after being arrested on a charge of assault of a woman, TCU Horned Frogs receiver KaVontae Turpin was dismissed from the team, coach Gary Patterson announced Tuesday. According to the police report, a woman, who said she had been in a relationship with Turpin for five years, was crying and told police that Turpin was angry because he thought she was sending photos of herself to other people. The woman said Turpin grabbed her and dragged her across the parking lot, according to the report. She said he slammed her to the ground and they wrestled before she got away and went to a neighbor's door and asked them to call police. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram first reported that Turpin had been charged in a similar incident against a woman, believed to be the same girlfriend, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in March. Turpin pleaded not guilty to the battery charge, as well as a charge for criminal damage to property of a household member (under $1,000) and interference with communications. But a warrant was issued for Turpin's arrest stemming from those charges, because he failed to appear for a July 16 pre-trial hearing. TCU issued a statement Tuesday, according to the Dallas Morning News, about Turpin's March arrest: "The football staff was aware there was an incident in New Mexico, but not that charges included an alleged battery. The publicly available information they reviewed at the time only showed a charge related to property damage. We did not know until yesterday that his legal issues were unresolved." "Obviously, I wish I knew more," Patterson said during Tuesday's news conference. "I'm not trying to cover anything up." Turpin, a senior, has been one of the top returners in college football. He leads the country with almost 20 yards per punt return, including a touchdown. Turpin also had a 99-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma on Saturday. He has three receiving touchdowns, as well. TCU plays at Kansas on Saturday.
|
