Attorney: Suspended Florida State RB Dalvin Cook did not assault woman
The attorney for suspended Florida State running back Dalvin Cook denied that his client assaulted a woman at a bar last month, telling ESPN.com, “Dalvin Cook did not strike this woman.”
“Players were leaving the scene at the same time,” the Miami-based attorney, Ricky Patel, continued. “But Dalvin walked away before it got out of hand.”
Patel also said that the woman struck Cook’s teammate, sophomore receiver Travis Rudolph.
Cook was suspended indefinitely by FSU last week after reports emerged that he would be served an arrest warrant for punching a woman outside a Tallahassee bar in June.
• STAPLES: Cook's arrest forces FSU to confront its perception
Patel questioned the police department’s investigation of the incident, saying he believed the recent arrest of Seminoles quarterback De'Andre Johnson may have been a factor.
“This is not clean,” Patel told ESPN.com. “There are conflicting statements. The woman and her dad—who was not there—identified Dalvin after being shown social-media pictures of Dalvin and some random people. It was an extremely unfair ‘lineup.’ The pressure is so high the assumption is ‘he did it.’ There is no judge and jury here. It's just not right.”
Florida State president John Thrasher met with members of the football team and its coaches Monday and discussed the recent off-field incidents involving Seminoles players.
- Dan Gartland
