http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/fl...story.html

Quote:A woman has filed for legal protection against Florida State offensive lineman Josh Ball after reporting several incidents of dating violence, the Orlando Sentinel learned on Monday.

Sandra Sellers, 20, who is from Hillsborough County and has been dating Ball since February 2016, filed a petition for an injunction for protection against Ball on Sept. 27.

The injunction highlights 11 incidents during which Ball’s girlfriend alleged he showed aggressive behavior, including physical harm to Sellers and her property on several occasions. One incident cited in the injunction involved FSU football personnel.

“He is a violent person and I’m scared he’s going to take it took far,” Sellers wrote in the injunction obtained by the Sentinel.

Ball, who is from Virginia and has emerged as a starting left tackle for the Seminoles, will have a domestic violence hearing on the matter on Thursday in Leon County court. He has not been charged with a crime and remains a member of the football program.

“We are aware of the matter, which is currently being reviewed by the appropriate authorities,” FSU’s athletics department released in a statement. “The student-athlete’s status with the team is unchanged. We will have no further comment.”

Quote:Ball made physical contact with Sellers on three separate occasions, according to the injunction:

•Dec. 1: He slapped her once in the face after breaking her cell phone against a wall.

•March 15: He pushed her into a closet at her Tampa home because he was upset she went to Disney with a friend and did not text back fast enough throughout the day.

•April 1: As Ball was recovering from a concussion, he grew angry because Sellers did not spend enough time with him. Ball threw her to the floor, cutting open her right knee. He later pushed her onto a chair, smacked the side of her thigh leaving a handprint bruise, and bent her car key so she could not leave. Ball later deleted photos of the injuries from her phone.

There were also three instances where sent inappropriate media was sent to Sellers:

•Ball had a girl who was lying in bed with him send a photo of them to Sellers on May 9, while his number and social media accounts were blocked.

•Ball sent photos and videos of himself drinking while taking pills to Sellers and her friend, along with more than 40 phone calls in less than an hour on June 17.

•Ball sent a “provocative and inappropriate” video of himself and Sellers to his friend, who posted the video on Snapchat on Sept. 9.

The most recent incident occurred on Sept. 23, when Ball jumped on a guy he knew that was talking to Sellers while out at Ken’s Tavern on Tennessee Street. Ball sent multiple text messages to Sellers after the incident.

Other incidents include Sellers trying to flee while Ball destroyed items in his apartment on Feb. 4 and Ball slamming his hand on Sellers’ car, cracking the windshield, on Nov. 18.

On July 30, 2016, Ball pounded a hole into his bedroom door with a screwdriver after being angry his roommate had guests late at night. He then laid on the floor and tried to choke himself. When the roommate called 911, “other Florida State football coaches came in the room and told them that the police did not come, and they helped him,” according to the court record.

Why is He not in Jail ? That's criminal assualt.

11 incidents? Why is she still dating him?

(11-07-2017 11:07 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  11 incidents? Why is she still dating him?

Too afraid to leave him, I'm sure. That's how domestic abuse works.

(11-07-2017 03:05 PM)krux Wrote:  

(11-07-2017 11:07 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  11 incidents? Why is she still dating him?

Too afraid to leave him, I'm sure. That's how domestic abuse works.

^This.

Considering the most recent issue listed above stems from an incident where Bell jumped a guy who was talking to her, it shouldn't be too hard to understand the rationale. Even when it seems like she might be trying to distance herself from him, he does something to hurt someone else.

This kid should have no place with the team right now until he gets his own issues sorted out.

My gut feeling is that he should not be playing. It certainly seems like there's enough smoke around this, and this is a subject that shouldn't be messed around with.

However, a little more info, which might explain why it's not cut and dry:

"No battery charges have been filed against Josh Ball, although the investigation of the Florida State offensive lineman continues, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times.

A hearing is scheduled for this afternoon at the Leon County Courthouse where a 20-year-old woman is seeking protection from Ball for "dating violence."

The woman reported two incidents of the alleged battery to law enforcement in September, the Times reports. Ball was interviewed by police in September and said he did not hurt the woman, according to the report. Ball also has shown to police a video of the woman hitting him "repeatedly" and threatening to "ruin his life" if he would not allow her to leave, the report states.

The State Attorney's Office has reviewed the case but "based on the time delay in reporting, prior requests not to prosecute and conflicting statements" did not press charges, according to the Times.

Ball has played in eight games for FSU this season, starting the last four games."

Now under Willie Meggs, the State Attorney's office was ridiculously overzealous in going after FSU players (contrary to popular belief), and so my general guide was that if the State Attorney didn't think there was a case there, there must be literally NOTHING, because they went after FSU players every way they could.

I don't know if that's still the case post-Meggs, so I don't know if that holds.

If he really does have video of her hitting him and threatening him, and she's been caught in lies etc, then it may be a case that's virtually impossible to bring charges on and get a conviction. However, that doesn't mean that there is nothing going on...it just might mean that she has her part in it as well. But what she does isn't ultimately the concern of FSU or the football program. Even if it's both-sided, if this is a violent relationship, FSU can't tolerate it. If nothing can be proven to justify suspending him or kicking him off the team, my preference would still be that they cut ties with him after the season and tell him to transfer, and be honest with prospective schools why.