Florida State player under investigation for allegedly hitting woman

Running back Dalvin Cook is expected to be charged with misdemeanor battery in the wake of an alleged assault in Tallahassee, Fla., last month.

Florida state prosecutor Willie Meggs said he expected to file charges Friday and issue an arrest warrant, according to ESPN.com and the Tallahassee Democrat. The school indefinitely suspended Cook on Friday after the news of the pending charge.

Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was FSU’s leading rusher last season, is accused of punching a 21-year-old woman in the face several times outside a Tallahassee bar after closing on June 23.

The alleged victim told ESPN.com that Cook punched her after she declined to give her phone number to one of his acquaintances. Then Cook and his associates told her they were football players who “could buy me in two years,” she said.

This is the second alleged incident involving an FSU player hitting a woman in the past three weeks. Freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson was kicked off the team Monday after the state attorney’s office released surveillance video of the 19-year-old punching a 21-year-old woman at a bar on June 24, the day after Cook’s alleged assault.

“Recent events at Florida State University involving members of my football team have brought a lot of attention to the school and program,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “It is important to me that our fans and the public be aware that I do not tolerate the type of behavior that was captured on video and that was most recently alleged.

“We spend a good deal of time educating our student-athletes about appropriate behavior and their responsibilities as representatives of Florida State. The majority of our players are exemplary, but clearly we must place an even stronger emphasis on this, and I personally promise we will. I remain committed to educating our young men and holding them accountable for their actions.”

This is the third time Cook has been in trouble at FSU. In June 2014, he was charged with criminal mischief after a BB gun battle damaged cars and other property at a Tallahassee apartment complex. He completed a pre-trial intervention program June 16, a week before the alleged assault.

Cook also was involved in an aggravated assault case in July 2014 in which police investigated accusations that two men pointed a gun at Cook’s neighbor.

Cook’s off-field missteps have overshadowed his performance in the field. The former “Mr. Football” in Florida led FSU with 1,008 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season.

“I have asked Coach Fisher and athletics director Stan Wilcox to develop a plan to help our student-athletes understand the consequences of these kinds of actions,” Florida State president John Thrasher said in a statement. “This will include Coach Fisher meeting immediately with his team to reiterate, in no uncertain terms, our expectations of them. I also plan to meet with the team, and we will be asking professionals who deal with these matters, including State Attorney Willie Meggs, to speak with them.”