Gun-Toting Football Player, Ronnie Wilson, Back With Florida Gators
August 18, 2008
According to the coach's Web site, the Florida Gators have an "aggressive, attacking, physical defense," which allows them to "harass the quarterback" and "punish" the opposition.
If the last year is any indication, the team's offense also likes to "harass" and "punish", or at least that is the example that has been set by 20-year-old Ronnie Wilson, a 6' 4", 315-pound offensive guard who was arrested last year for felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery.
The incident occurred outside of XS nightclub on April 5, 2007. According to the Gainesville police report, Wilson punched and spat on Frank Fuller, a Santa Fe Community College student. Following the assault, Fuller jumped into his car and dialed 911.
While on the phone with the dispatcher, Fuller followed Wilson to an empty parking lot, where the football player exited his vehicle, removed an AK-47 assault rifle from the trunk, and fired off a single round into the air. Wilson, according to the report, wanted Fuller "to know how it felt to be scared."
The gunshot can be heard in the second part of the 911 call. Also of note is the fact that it took a patrol car over 30 minutes to arrive on the scene.
As a result of the charges, Wilson was suspended indefinitely from the football team. In an April 7, 2007, interview with Gainesville.com, coach Urban Meyer said that the university had a strict policy regarding the possession of guns.
"The punishment from the university is severe," Meyer said. "The university is really clear. It's non-negotiable."
On June 14, state attorney's office spokesman Spencer Mann announced that his office was reducing the charges against Wilson to one count of battery and one count of discharging a firearm in public. The new charges were both misdemeanors, which carried a maximum sentence of one year of imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
"Probable cause at the time of the incident is usually much less than what we have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Mann told Orlandosentinel.com. "It's not unusual for charges to be adjusted."
Wilson finally had his day in court in August 2007, when he pled no contest both to battery and to discharging a firearm. As a result, Wilson received two years of court-supervised probation and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to forfeit his assault rifle and to undergo a mental health evaluation.
For all intents and purposes, Wilson was let go with a slap on the wrist. End of story, right? Not quite.
On January 6, 2008, one day before Wilson was to return to Florida for the spring semester, he was arrested again and charged with possession of marijuana. According to the police report, Wilson was pulled over after he failed to obey a stop sign. A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted by an officer with the Alachua County Sheriff's Department, resulted in the discovery of six grams of marijuana.
The arrest was an obvious violation of Wilson's probation. However, according to Miamiherald.com, the state attorney's office failed to notice that Wilson was on probation. Not only did they fail to take action regarding his probation, but also they later dismissed the entire case.
''You have to prove constructive possession, and that's a tough thing to prove a lot of times,'' Mann told Miamiherald.com. "This case was a weak one to start with."
According to Mann, the charges were also dismissed because the University of Florida was made aware of them and stated that their judicial affairs department would take over. The case was ultimately swept under the rug until the Miami Herald uncovered it earlier this month. Regardless, the university has refused to comment.
In spite of Wilson's outwardly reckless behavior, his fondness for guns ,and his alleged penchant for drugs, the crux of this story is the fact that coach Urban Meyer has now seemingly given his blessing to Wilson and has allowed him to participate in the team's first preseason practice.
Meyer defended the decision, in an interview with Sportsillustrated.cnn.com, saying, "I'm still evaluating him. I have a long history of giving guys opportunities. A lot of thought went into it, though.''
Evaluating? Doubtful. The fact that Ronnie Wilson, who now likes to go by "Ron," was on the field in the first place suggests that the "evaluation" has already been completed.
Wilson was also prepared for anyone aiming (no pun intended) to throw stones, having issued his own public statement:
''I'm sorry that I caused so much embarrassment for my family, the school, and the football program,'' Wilson said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to be out here. It was very difficult being away from the school and the football team that I care so much about.''
Serious charges generally result in serious punishment; however, in Wilson's case, it would seem that shooting off an assault rifle is akin to throwing a Hail Mary.
Kudos to Urban Meyer for instilling and, er… enforcing discipline in his sports program!
Related Content: Call 911 : Listen to real 911 calls from people in need of emergency help
Photo Credits:
Ronnie Wilson - Police File Photo
AK-47 - Public Domain : United States Federal Government
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Oh, you really told us didn't you. The problem with blogs is journalists don't feel they really have to check the facts. He didn't have an AK-47, he had a look a like that is really a .22 not that this should matter much, he still discharged a firearm in public and needs to be punished. He has been, both by the courts and the school. Not only was he dismissed from the team for a year, now that he is back in school and playing, he is not on scholarship - he has to pay his own way. While I don't condone what he did, Coach has a track record of helping troubled youth get back on the right track, look at his much maligned running back at Utah for an example, without Coach, he might have ended up live Avery Atkins.
Posted by: MNGator | August 18, 2008 at 10:17 AM
MNGator - the report said an AK-47. While you may be correct that is really a moot point. He should not have fired ANY weapon. Period.
In My opinion the punishment did not fit the crime. He got a slap on the wrist and the coach is sending the wrong message by letting him back on the team.
Posted by: David Lohr | August 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM
surprise surprise- another punk football player - total wuss without a gun i guarantee
Posted by: ed | August 18, 2008 at 05:25 PM
They should have never allowed this guy back on the team! Shame on them for caring more about a stupid game than this mans actions.
Posted by: fuzzy | March 05, 2009 at 04:16 AM