By Andrew Carter
Orlando Sentinel
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State University football players Geno Hayes and Joe Surratt were arrested early Friday morning after an altercation with police outside a bar near the FSU campus, the Tallahassee Police Department said.
Police charged Hayes, a junior who is a starting linebacker for the Seminoles, with resisting arrest without violence, disorderly conduct and assault on a law enforcement officer, all of which are misdemeanor charges. Surratt, a senior fullback who broke his right leg in the preseason, is charged with one felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Hayes and Surratt have been suspended indefinitely, a statement released by FSU Athletic Director Dave Hart said.
The arrests have ruined what was supposed to be a quiet weekend of rest and relaxation for FSU. The Seminoles have a bye this weekend and then play Alabama in Jacksonville a week from today. The Alabama game is a pivotal one for the Seminoles, who hope to use a victory to build momentum for a challenging schedule ahead.
While the suspension of the injured Surratt won’t affect FSU’s on-field performance, Hayes’ likely absence against Alabama certainly will be an issue. He has 19 tackles, second-best on the team, and is considered a defensive leader among teammates and coaches. Hayes is FSU’s only returning starter at linebacker from a season ago.
According to a statement released by the Tallahassee Police Department, the incident began Friday at approximately 1:45 a.m., when officers noticed Hayes gesturing wildly and screaming outside a bar. Police said Hayes was “screaming profanities and waving his hands wildly” and wearing no shirt while outside Potbelly’s, a popular gathering place near campus.
According to police, an employee of Potbelly’s told officers that Hayes had been involved in an altercation inside the establishment. When officers tried to calm Hayes, the police said, Hayes responded with “profane language and became aggressive.” After police warned Hayes that his actions could lead to his arrest, the confrontation escalated, police said. According to the police narrative, Hayes was unsuccessfully restrained by friends, a group that included Surratt. Hayes broke away from his friends, police said, and charged toward an officer with a clenched fist while he shouted threats.
Moments later, police brought Hayes to the ground. When he still resisted, Michael Malafronte, a Tallahassee Police Department officer, applied a taser to Hayes and arrested him.
Meanwhile, according to police, Surratt “did not comply” with police orders to distance himself from the officers’ apprehension of Hayes. Michael Petroczky, a Tallahassee Police Department officer, pushed Surratt, who is wearing a cast on his right leg, to the ground.
According to police, Petroczky then arrested Surratt, but not before Surratt “struck” Petroczky, leaving the officer with a cut inside his lower lip.
According to the statement from Hart, the FSU AD, the players will remain suspended “until all of the facts of the incident are reviewed. We are continuing to gather facts related to the circumstances.”
The FSU athletics code of conduct and discipline policy mandates that athletes charged with felonies won’t be permitted to represent the Seminoles in a game until all charges are resolved. The policy for misdemeanors leaves disciplinary action to the discretion of the head coach, after review from the athletic director. Coach Bobby Bowden was unavailable for comment Friday. Athletics department spokesman Elliott Finebloom said Bowden wouldn’t address the issue until next week. FSU doesn’t resume practice until Monday.
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