Getting charged with a felony is kind of a big deal. And Urban isn't sure of the facts, so Tony Joiner will be out until he is cleared.
"I'm still evaluating that whole deal," Meyer said after practice. "I don't know the whole story yet. I'm still getting information like a lot of people are. I'm not going to make any more comments until I know more. It's just not fair to everybody involved.
"Like a lot of people, I don't know yet (what all happened). I'm going to find out pretty soon. I'll probably know something in the next few hours." In the meantime, Meyer said Joiner will not participate in any team activities.
"Until I find out everything, he won't do anything," Meyer said.
"Like a lot of people, I don't know yet (what all happened). I'm going to find out pretty soon. I'll probably know something in the next few hours." In the meantime, Meyer said Joiner will not participate in any team activities.
"Until I find out everything, he won't do anything," Meyer said.
I can't imagine Joiner is back if this isn't resolved by Saturday. You and I may believe that Joiner acted without malice, but facts are exactly that and he did break into a business and remove an object from that business. Or did he?
The owner of the property, Stan Forron, said he left the gate open when he left Watson's Towing at 3 a.m. and doesn't understand why police arrested Joiner. Forron said he is going to urge the State Attorney's Office to drop the charges. Forron said Joiner had made arrangements to pay the towing bill and pick up the car Tuesday morning, but that Joiner showed up later than expected and the Watson's Towing employee on duty at the time was not in the office.
"I don't understand why this kid was arrested," said Forron, who owns two other towing companies in Gainesville. "I've been paid; I've been made good. I'm not interested in pursuing charges. It's all a miscommunication. "One of the dispatchers knew (Joiner) was coming. My employee was in the break room and I'd left the gate open. It's like going to a restaurant to eat and you go to the cashier to pay and no one is there. Eventually, you're going to walk out."
"I don't understand why this kid was arrested," said Forron, who owns two other towing companies in Gainesville. "I've been paid; I've been made good. I'm not interested in pursuing charges. It's all a miscommunication. "One of the dispatchers knew (Joiner) was coming. My employee was in the break room and I'd left the gate open. It's like going to a restaurant to eat and you go to the cashier to pay and no one is there. Eventually, you're going to walk out."
Forron goes on to say that the action of removing your car without payment has happened before and those people weren't arrested. He claims that he wants the charges dropped not because Joiner is a football player, but because the punishment does not fit.
There are two questions I have;
- Kyle Jackson was with Joiner when this happened. Why didn't he take the fall for Joiner? I mean, at least he would have had some positive contribution to the team this season.
- Did the GPD officer overreact? Obviously, we don't want to go after a cop doing his job, but if Joiner paid the bill and the gate was open, what is the crime? Trespassing, right? If this was a different officer, maybe this is swept under the rug with the rest of the stupid student vs. police stories in Gainesville. I guess we're waiting again on the state attorney. For what it's worth, he's from Tampa and a Gator.