Updated at 2:30 p.m.
An erroneous statement released from the Gainesville Police Department to the Gainesville Television Network on Sunday noted that Florida Gators redshirt senior wide receiver/kick returner Andre Debose committed defenestration Saturday night, alleging he was involved in a fight and tossed someone through a window.
As it turns out, Gainesville Police provided inaccurate information to GTN. Debose was the victim pushed through a window rather than the aggressor.
According to a news brief released by the GPD on Sunday afternoon:
At 6:30pm Saturday, officers responded to an armed confrontation involving at least 2 subjects in the front yard of the house that were reportedly armed with a handgun and a rifle.
When officers arrived, they found an SUV parked in front of the house with numerous bullet holes and shell casings in the road. One subject retreated into the house but came out and was secured within moments. Investigation determined that John Mark Honeycutt W/M 7/1/90, Andre Debose B/M 9/12/90, Victor Watkins II B/M 12/20/89 and Kristan Lipham W/F were eating together in the house.
Debose and Watkins got into an argument resulting in Watson pushing Debose into a window. The glass broke, but Debose was not injured. This angered Honeycutt who retrieved a handgun and threatened Watkins with it. However, Watkins immediately took the handgun from Honeycutt and then discharged several rounds into the ground outside the house.
Honeycutt now retrieved the rifle and fired several rounds into Watkins’s SUV and into the ground in front of the house. All parties were transported to CID where GPD detectives conducted interviews. After an extensive investigation, detectives arrested Honeycutt for Aggravated Assault. All other parties were released.
Note: Information originally released in a Sunday Morning “GPD Media Weekend Snapshot” email sent to local media reported that Debose was an aggressor, but this information was incorrect. The above information is correct.
GPD spokesman Ben Tobias issued an apology to Debose minutes after the news brief was released by his department, noting that he missed the error of names being transposed in the initial brief.
Mr. Debose was actually the one pushed into the glass, and in fact tried to break this altercation up multiple times during the incident.
To Mr. Debose: I apologize that my error put your name and reputation in jeopardy, no matter how briefly. I take full responsibility for this error, and hope that the stories printed and published will correct your name and reputation. Furthermore, I am extremely proud that you intervened in this incident and likely prevented anyone from being injured or killed.
Though Debose has apparently been cleared of any wrongdoing, he was in a situation where a gun was used and was also dining with two men with questionable records.
Honeycutt has previously been arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (without intent) and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Watkins has previously been arrested for obstruction of justice without violence (resisting arrest), battery (not prosecuted) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Debose last week was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after tearing his ACL for the second time and missing the entire 2013 season.
His most productive season at Florida was 2011 when he caught 16 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns and returned 19 kickoffs for 495 yards and a touchdown. Debose has four career kickoff return touchdowns for the Gators.
Updated on Monday at 12:30 p.m.
Asked about the incident on Monday, Florida head coach Will Muschamp said Debose was forthcoming about the situation when the two discussed it on Sunday morning.
“He’s got to be mentally careful about who he’s hanging around in that situation. He didn’t know some of the guys that were there, obviously. But he’s fine,” Muschamp said, according to 247Sports.com‘s Thomas Goldkamp. “He and I talked Sunday morning and he told me it was an eye-opening experience and what have you. He admittedly said ‘Coach, I was in a bad place and shouldn’t have been there. I didn’t know all of the people involved.’ I just told him, ‘You’ve got to be careful.'”
Read the story as originally reported…after the break.
Original story published at 12:41 p.m.
Florida Gators redshirt senior wide receiver/kick returner Andre Debose reportedly committed defenestration Saturday night as it is alleged that he was involved in a fight and tossed someone through a window.
The Gainesville Police Department told Gainesville Television Network about the incident, noting that Debose was not arrested for his participation in the fight.
No information has been released as to the nature or location of the incident.
Debose last week was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after tearing his ACL for the second time and missing the entire 2013 season.
His most productive season at Florida was 2011 when he caught 16 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns and returned 19 kickoffs for 495 yards and a touchdown. Debose has four career kickoff return touchdowns for the Gators.
Original report from Gainesville Television Network:
Gainesville police say Gator football player Andre Debose was involved in a fight overnight which resulted in him throwing someone through a window. He wasn’t arrested. GTN News will have more on the developing story as it becomes available.
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