Jury Finds Florida State's Dalvin Cook Not Guilty of Battery
Dalvin Cook can get back to football.
A jury found the Florida State University running back not guilty of misdemeanor battery Monday, stemming from an incident in June, when a woman accused him of punching her in the face, ESPN is reporting.
The 21-year-old woman claimed that Cook, 19, punched her in the face several times during an argument outside of a Florida bar. All along, Cook said he was trying to pacify the situation and the jury took that claim to heart.
"I'm just thankful and blessed the truth came out," Cook told ESPN after the verdict Monday. "I knew what I was doing that night, and I was making peace."
Shortly after the verdict, Florida State announced it has reinstated Cook, who is eligible to return to Seminoles' practice Tuesday. Upon learning of the incident, Cook was suspended indefinitely by the schoool.
"In light of today's ruling in his misdemeanor battery case, FSU football player Dalvin Cook's indefinite suspension from the team has been lifted, and he will be eligible to practice and to compete representing the university effective immediately," the school said in a statement to ESPN.
Cook can play in the Seminoles' season opener against Texas State on September 5. The sophomore rushed for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman last season.
"It's time to go to work, back to the field," Cook said. "I've been working, but now it's time to get at it. It's football season."
Although Cook's suspension has been lifted, the indefinite suspension of his teammate, quarterback De'Andre Johnson, still stands. Johnson was captured on video punching a woman inside a Tallahassee bar, oddly enough on a June night one day after Cook's incident. Johnson was suspended indefinitely, although he claims the woman in the bar called him the N-word.
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(Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
