Alabama State wide receiver Jacob Freeman was suspended from the team after being arrested for hitting a security guard at their Saturday, September 23, road game against Florida A&M.
The incident was caught on video. It shows Freeman arguing with a fan before a security guard gets in between them and is then struck by Freeman.
????????: Alabama State WR Jacob Freeman was arrested for punching a security guard in the face during a game on Saturday, via @TMZ
The incident, which was caught on video, started when Freeman lost his cool with a fan on the sidelines and tried to confront the fan.? pic.twitter.com/TDbLwkdpQr
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 26, 2023
Freeman, a junior at the school, was arrested by the Florida A&M Police Department and charged with one count of "battery causing bodily harm," per TMZ.
As you can see in the clip above, the security guard is visibly injured, gripping his nose area as fellow Alabama State players hurry over to get him out of the situation.
Following the incident, Alabama State Athletic Director Dr. Jason Cable released a statement that confirmed Freeman's indefinite suspension.
"We do not condone the actions of the student-athlete, nor are the actions representative of the expectations set forth by the Athletic Department and our University," the statement read. "There is zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The student-athlete has been suspended indefinitely from the football program, effective immediately."
The conference that Alabama State plays in, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), also released a statement saying the conference has a "a zero-tolerance policy regarding unsportsmanlike conduct."
The Hornets aren't off to the best start this season in the SWAC. The team is just 1-2 with two straight losses, and will be playing some solid programs, including Alcorn State, in the coming weeks. An incident like this won't help the program stay focused on their upcoming opponents and what they can do to turn around their slow start to 2023, either.
As mentioned, Freeman is a junior from LaGrange, Georgia.
To this point in his college career, he has just one catch for three yards.
