 |
| Crystal LoGiudice / USA TODAY Sports |
| Florida LB Antonio Morrison has been suspended for at least the first two games of 2013. |
Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison, one of the Gators' top defenders, was arrested after barking at a police dog.
The formal charge was interfering with police by harassing a police animal, according to the Orlando Sentinel. According to the police report, Morrison, 19, walked up to a police vehicle and began barking at a police dog that was inside the car. Officer William A. Arnold determined that Morrison's actions prevented him from doing his job, and that Morrison resisted when Arnold tried to detain him in handcuffs.
Morrison, the report indicates, told Arnold that the police dog "barked at him first." He spent the early hours of Sunday morning in an Alachua County (Fla.) jail before being released around 9 a.m. It didn't take long for UF coach Will Muschamp to take action. According to the official twitter feed of Florida Gators football, Muschamp has suspended Morrison for two games.
Muschamp on Antonio Morrison (1 of 2): âIâm extremely disappointed in Antonio Morrisonâs decision makingâ¦
â GatorZone Football (@GatorZoneFB) July 21, 2013
Muschamp on Morrison (2 of 2) âHe has been suspended from the team and will miss at least two games to begin the season.â
â GatorZone Football (@GatorZoneFB) July 21, 2013
Muschamp's quick action was likely linked to a previous, more serious legal charge against Morrison stemming from an incident last month. In June, he was arrested for allegedly punching a bouncer at a nightclub. Morrison (6-1, 240) is a projected starter at middle linebacker for the Gators and was among the Southeastern Conference's top-performing freshmen in 2012.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
