What did Abdul Carter do? Penn State starter gets charged with misdemeanor assault
Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter has been charged with misdemeanor assault following a confrontation that involved the sophomore from Philadelphia last month. The case was filed after Carter had allegedly assaulted a truck driver due to a dispute with his vehicle.
According to the report, the Nittany Lions player was said to have "questioned the victim`s authority" to tow his vehicle. Abdul Carter apparently believed that his car was being stolen by the victim, and as a result, he reportedly didn`t provide his personal information for official paperwork of the incident.
The confrontation escalated to Carter pulling the tow truck driver out of the vehicle and throwing him to the ground (via The Spun). As per the police report, the surveillance video showing the altercation went like so:
"Video showed Carter allowing the driver to get up but held him back again when the man tried to return to the truck. Carter released the man when a witness said she called 911, but continued to block the driver’s side door, according to the affidavit," reads the report.
Further descriptions of the incident are said to have been as follows (via Sports Illustrated):
"When the driver attempted to get in his truck, Carter attempted to block him. The driver allegedly "grabbed a metal bar from the truck and yelled at Carter to back away," according to the affidavit Statecollege.com obtained. Carter did so, but the confrontation continued."
Court records say that the incident occurred on March 16 this year. Abdul Carter has played two years for Penn State football.
He has recorded 49 total tackles for the Nittany Lions this year, 26 of them solo and 23 assist tackles. He also had 4.5 sacks for the season and 18 interception yards to round up his numbers. His stats have dipped a bit compared to his freshman year.
Penn State football's official statement on the matter
The charges against Abdul Carter have reached Penn State, as expected. Their official statement on the matter is as follows:
"We are aware of the charges against Abdul Carter. These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed. We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter," a Penn State spokesperson said in a statement.
For now, there seems to be no indication on Abdul Carter's status for the upcoming season, whether he`d be playing for the Nittany Lions or not after this incident.