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Starting strong safety and team captain Tony Joiner's status with the University of Florida football team is uncertain following his arrest Tuesday morning for felony burglary of a business.
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UF students react to Joiner arrest
Joiner was not allowed to practice Tuesday afternoon after being released from the Alachua County jail on his own recognizance. UF coach Urban Meyer said Joiner's status would not be determined until he's heard all the facts in the case. Meyer would not speculate on whether Joiner has a chance to play in Saturday's game at No. 1 LSU.
"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 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.
Joiner, a senior from Haines City, was arrested around 5 a.m. outside the fenced impound lot of Watson's Towing at 516 SW 1st St. He was accused of pushing open a heavy electric gate in an attempt to retrieve his girlfriend's car. The vehicle was being held in lieu of a $76 towing bill, according to police reports.
According to Gainesville Police, witnesses said a man pushed open the gate at 4:30 a.m., got into a car, drove it out of the lot and was trying to close the gate when he was confronted by one of two witnesses, both employees of Watson's Towing. The witness said the man drove the car back into the lot and waited outside the gate for police to arrive.
With Joiner was senior free safety Kyle Jackson, who was waiting outside the gate.
Jackson would not comment about the incident after practice Tuesday. "I'm not talking today," Jackson responded to several questions.
The officer who arrested Joiner, Robert Concannon, noted in the arrest report that Joiner was on a phone talking to someone when he walked up. Concannon said he heard Joiner say, "I am probably about to go to jail 'cuz I did push the gate open."
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."
Forron said he's been in the towing business for 20 years and has never heard of anyone getting arrested for stealing their own car from a compound lot.
"I don't remember that ever happening," he said. "A girl stole her car from the lot about three weeks ago and she wasn't arrested. Why would they arrest this kid?
"I'm a Gator fan, but I'm also a right and wrong fan, too. What the kid did is wrong, but does it warrant a second-degree felony charge? Not even close."
Forron said it's fairly common for owners to "steal" their own cars from towing lots in town.
"It happens 15 to 20 times a year," he said. "It's pretty prevalent. I don't believe what this kid did is right, but he doesn't deserve to be arrested."
The State Attorney's Office will review the case before determining whether to bring formal charges against Joiner.
When a judge released Joiner on his own recognizance Tuesday, Joiner was given a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and was told not to have any contact with the towing company.
Joiner is a player who had some off-the-field problems early in his UF career, but seemed to have turned his life around under Meyer, who took over the program in 2005. Joiner has been a team leader since the spring and has served as a team captain this season. He is one of only two returning starters from last season's national championship defense.
Joiner's roommate is sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow. Meyer put the two together hoping they would have a positive influence on each other. The two have become close friends.
Tebow said Tuesday he's confident Joiner did not intentionally break the law.
"It's upsetting how the whole thing happened," Tebow said. "I don't think he was thinking about doing anything wrong. It was just wrong place, wrong time. It wasn't something he was intentionally trying to do.
"Tony is a great player, great friend and he's a great kid. In his heart, I know he wasn't trying to do anything wrong."
According to the GPD incident report, Joiner said he intended to pay the bill, but became impatient.
According to the report, the gate Joiner entered was not damaged.
Joiner's arrest comes at a bad time for a young team that is coming off a tough home loss to Auburn and now must travel to Baton Rouge this weekend to face the nation's No. 1 team.
The arrest also came two days after three players were questioned by police about a shooting outside a downtown nightclub.
Police said the players were not considered suspects, but may have witnessed the shooting.
Continue to 2nd paragraph Related Stories
UF students react to Joiner arrest
Joiner was not allowed to practice Tuesday afternoon after being released from the Alachua County jail on his own recognizance. UF coach Urban Meyer said Joiner's status would not be determined until he's heard all the facts in the case. Meyer would not speculate on whether Joiner has a chance to play in Saturday's game at No. 1 LSU.
"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 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.
Joiner, a senior from Haines City, was arrested around 5 a.m. outside the fenced impound lot of Watson's Towing at 516 SW 1st St. He was accused of pushing open a heavy electric gate in an attempt to retrieve his girlfriend's car. The vehicle was being held in lieu of a $76 towing bill, according to police reports.
According to Gainesville Police, witnesses said a man pushed open the gate at 4:30 a.m., got into a car, drove it out of the lot and was trying to close the gate when he was confronted by one of two witnesses, both employees of Watson's Towing. The witness said the man drove the car back into the lot and waited outside the gate for police to arrive.
With Joiner was senior free safety Kyle Jackson, who was waiting outside the gate.
Jackson would not comment about the incident after practice Tuesday. "I'm not talking today," Jackson responded to several questions.
The officer who arrested Joiner, Robert Concannon, noted in the arrest report that Joiner was on a phone talking to someone when he walked up. Concannon said he heard Joiner say, "I am probably about to go to jail 'cuz I did push the gate open."
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."
Forron said he's been in the towing business for 20 years and has never heard of anyone getting arrested for stealing their own car from a compound lot.
"I don't remember that ever happening," he said. "A girl stole her car from the lot about three weeks ago and she wasn't arrested. Why would they arrest this kid?
"I'm a Gator fan, but I'm also a right and wrong fan, too. What the kid did is wrong, but does it warrant a second-degree felony charge? Not even close."
Forron said it's fairly common for owners to "steal" their own cars from towing lots in town.
"It happens 15 to 20 times a year," he said. "It's pretty prevalent. I don't believe what this kid did is right, but he doesn't deserve to be arrested."
The State Attorney's Office will review the case before determining whether to bring formal charges against Joiner.
When a judge released Joiner on his own recognizance Tuesday, Joiner was given a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and was told not to have any contact with the towing company.
Joiner is a player who had some off-the-field problems early in his UF career, but seemed to have turned his life around under Meyer, who took over the program in 2005. Joiner has been a team leader since the spring and has served as a team captain this season. He is one of only two returning starters from last season's national championship defense.
Joiner's roommate is sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow. Meyer put the two together hoping they would have a positive influence on each other. The two have become close friends.
Tebow said Tuesday he's confident Joiner did not intentionally break the law.
"It's upsetting how the whole thing happened," Tebow said. "I don't think he was thinking about doing anything wrong. It was just wrong place, wrong time. It wasn't something he was intentionally trying to do.
"Tony is a great player, great friend and he's a great kid. In his heart, I know he wasn't trying to do anything wrong."
According to the GPD incident report, Joiner said he intended to pay the bill, but became impatient.
According to the report, the gate Joiner entered was not damaged.
Joiner's arrest comes at a bad time for a young team that is coming off a tough home loss to Auburn and now must travel to Baton Rouge this weekend to face the nation's No. 1 team.
The arrest also came two days after three players were questioned by police about a shooting outside a downtown nightclub.
Police said the players were not considered suspects, but may have witnessed the shooting.
