Gainesville Police arrested UF football player Deiondre Porter Wednesday morning after police say he reportedly fired a gun in the direction of his pregnant girlfriend in late September.
Porter has been suspended indefinitely from the football team, coach Jim McElwain announced Wednesday.
At about 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 29, Porter reportedly confronted a woman who he has been dating since 2013 at her apartment for being involved with another member of the UF football team. Porter knew she was 10 weeks pregnant at the time, according to a police report.
As Porter, 19, began yelling at her to tell him the truth about her reported involvement, the woman tried to avoid him by going into her bedroom, according to the report.
Porter then held a gun to her head while she denied involvement and tried to call and text the other teammate. After there was no response from the teammate, Porter told the woman they would try to reach him again in the morning, and he fell asleep in her bedroom while she slept in the living room, according to the report.
At about 7:15 a.m. that same day, Porter began yelling at the woman again about being involved with his teammate and paced around the living room as she stood by the door and continued to deny any involvement, according to the report. The woman told police Porter then raised the gun and shot in her direction, with the bullet hitting the wall where she was leaning. He left soon after.
The woman reported the incident on Monday, Gainesville Police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said during a press conference Wednesday.
"Most importantly, she said she was scared," Tobias said. "She was dealing with a UF football player, a well-known football player. She was honestly terrified."
Police found a bullet hole near the door, where the woman said she was leaning. A .45 caliber casing was also found under a chair in the living room, where the woman said Porter had been standing, according to the report.
Tobias said neighbors told police they heard an altercation and a gunshot that morning.
At about 11:44 p.m. the next night, Porter was one of two people stopped by police in a parking lot outside Apartment Hunters, located at 2950 SW Archer Rd., after an officer noticed their parked car, according to an additional police report.
Police found a loaded .45 caliber Springfield gun inside the waistband of the driver’s pants and additional rounds of ammunition and a bag with 30.8 grams of marijuana near the passenger seat and in the glove compartment of the car.
The driver, Justin Acevedo, 20, was arrested for possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, carrying a concealed firearm and carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony. Porter was handcuffed, but said he didn’t know about the marijuana and was released on his own recognizance.
Police are currently investigating if the shell casing from the woman’s apartment matches the gun found in the car, Tobias said. He said the two cases are otherwise unrelated.
Police charged Porter with aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated assault without intent to kill, firing a weapon or missile into a building and criminal mischief, causing less than $200 in damage. He was taken to the Alachua County Jail, where as of press time, he is being held in lieu of a $160,000 bond.
The charges of aggravated battery and firing a weapon have been listed as second-degree felonies while the two counts of aggravated assault are listed as third-degree felonies, according to Alachua County court records. The criminal mischief charge is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Tobias said the aggravated battery charge will be considered domestic violence because Porter and the woman did live together at one point.
"This is someone that made a choice, and a very horrible choice, that is going to not only cost him a lot, but also cost the victim even more," Tobias said. "This is something that she is going to have to live with. Put yourself in her shoes."
Porter, a redshirt freshman defensive back, was a three-star recruit from the 2014 recruiting class out of Tampa’s Thomas Jefferson High School. In four games this season, Porter has played mostly on special teams and has recorded two tackles. He has not played since Florida’s 28-27 win against Tennessee on Sept. 26.
"OK, there’s a man down. It was his choice," McElwain said. "Choose what you want to do, right? … Life’s full of choices."
Contact Emily Cochrane at ecochrane@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ESCochrane
Contact Jordan McPherson at jmcpherson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
April 9, 2015: Gainesville Police file a sworn complaint charging wide receiver Chris Thompson with misdemeanor simple battery after he reportedly scratched and bruised his former girlfriend during an argument. The case was dropped on April 13 due to insufficient evidence, according to Alachua County court records.
April 18, 2015: Gainesville Police arrest defensive back J.C. Jackson after he reportedly was part of an armed robbery at a Gainesville apartment complex. He was removed from Florida’s roster on June 30. He was formally charged with four first-degree felonies — three counts of home invasion robbery while armed with a firearm and one count of burglary — on July 20.
July 24, 2015: Running back Adam Lane and defensive tackle Caleb Brantley are cited for leaving Splitz Bowling Alley in Gainesville without paying their tabs. Both players were charged with defrauding an innkeeper of under $300, a second-degree misdemeanor.
July 25, 2015: Wide receiver Alvin Bailey is arrested in Tampa on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on a May misdemeanor citation for driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Oct. 14, 2015: Defensive back Deiondre Porter is arrested for reportedly firing a gun in the direction of his pregnant girlfriend in late September.
UF defensive back Deiondre Porter misses a tackle on Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs during Florida's 28-27 win on Sept. 26, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
