Florida Gators wide receiver Andre Debose was thrown through a window during an altercation that led to gunfire Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla., according to reports.
Debose was not arrested or charged, even though an initial police report said that he had been the aggressor. Officer Ben Tobias of the Gainesville Police Department issued a statement Sunday apologizing for mistakenly sending a report to the media saying that Debose had thrown another person through a window. Tobias said Debose had actually been the victim during the altercation and tried to break up the fight multiple times.
"I apologize that my error put your name and reputation in jeopardy, no matter how briefly," Tobias wrote in his statement.
The incident started when an argument between Debose and Victor Watkins began at John Honeycutt's residence, according to The Associated Press. Watkins and Debose reportedly started shoving each other, and Debose was pushed through a window that shattered. Reports say Honeycutt then became angry and threatened Watkins with a handgun. The Orlando Sentinel reports Watkins took the handgun from Honeycutt and fired several rounds into the front yard before Honeycutt retrieved a rifle and fired several rounds into Watkins' car and yard. Honeycutt was the only one involved in the altercation that was arrested -- he was charged with aggravated assault.
Debose, who owns the Gators record with four kickoff returns for touchdowns, recently was granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA and is looking to return from an ACL tear he suffered in August. He also missed his freshman season after undergoing knee surgery.
