USF running back arrested for domestic battery charge
Senior running back Michel Dukes Jr. was arrested on Saturday by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and is facing one felony charge of domestic battery by strangulation, according to a report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
HCSO said deputies arrested Dukes after authorities received a call from a victim stating he allegedly assaulted them, according to the report.
After an investigation, deputies said a verbal argument at a residence on the 4300 block of Shire Court had escalated to a physical altercation in which Dukes strangled the victim, according to a Sunday press release from HCSO.
Sheriff Chad Chronister addressed Dukes’ arrest in a public statement.
“I applaud this victim for coming forward,” Chronister said. “We do not tolerate domestic violence. There is never a reason or excuse for this type of behavior. Our Victim Advocates will ensure this individual gets connected with any and all resources.”
Dukes is currently being held at Orient Road Jail on a $2,000 bond, according to the report.
Dukes has been indefinitely suspended from the team as the investigation takes place, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
This is a developing story. Stay with The Oracle for updates.
More Stories
USF’s presidential search slowed in spring, now resumes with new firm
The USF presidential search committee announced this month its plans to move forward with a new search firm in its pursuit of a new university president. In May, USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told The Oracle that USF would move forward with its presidential search after its initial search firm — SP&A Executive Search — finished […]
USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
USF men’s basketball officially has a full house, finalizing its revamped roster with all 15 scholarship spots now filled. New head coach Bryan Hodgson has wasted no time building a new roster. After Hodgson was hired in March, he began his tenure by securing three high school recruits and five players out of the transfer […]
USF rocket team takes flight in NASA competition despite challenges
In a field in Alabama, USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry members waited for Prometheus — the rocket they’d spent nine months crafting — to take flight. USF’s SOAR was among the 53 teams that launched their rockets for the NASA Student Launch in Huntsville on May 4. The USF team placed 18th after launching […]
USF beach volleyball balances summer training away from campus
In the summertime, while some USF students are having fun in the sun, athletes don’t stop their training. USF beach volleyball players Morgan Anderson and Sasha Pasloski know all too well what goes into a Division I athlete’s summer routine. Although the Bulls won’t play their inaugural season until the spring, they have been preparing […]
Kelly says USF will be an ‘aggressive’ House v. NCAA settlement adopter
As the House v. NCAA settlement reshapes the financial architecture of college sports, outgoing USF athletic director Michael Kelly said the university plans to be among its “most aggressive” adopters. The settlement, finalized on June 6, allows schools to directly pay athletes for the first time, with a national cap set at $20.5 million per […]
USF international students navigate travel under new visa limitations
With a ban restricting visa issuance and entry into the U.S. in effect, USF student Arshia Esmaeilian said he is afraid his parents might not be able to see him graduate next year unless the ban is lifted. “I didn’t really ask for this,” said Esmaeilian, a senior chemistry major. “It’s just something I have […]