A football player from the University of Kentucky has been arrested for allegedly trying to walk off with a Lexington parking meter while intoxicated. The incident took place on March 4.
According to authorities, a police officer in a cruiser spotted the 23-year-old Wildcat fullback walking down the sidewalk on East Maxwell Street with another individual. The player was holding a parking meter that had been separated from its base. When the pair saw the squad car, they took off running, leaving the meter behind. The officer turned on the cruiser’s emergency lights and followed them, ordering them to stop and get on the ground.
The police report says that the player obeyed the officer’s orders and stopped running. He allegedly admitted to stealing the parking meter. He was charged with theft, criminal mischief, alcohol intoxication and fleeing and evading. He was scheduled for arraignment in Fayette District Court. According to media reports, he joined the Wildcats as a walk-on in 2013 after transferring from Pikeville.
College students who have been issued theft or other criminal charges can face jail time and steep fines if convicted. They could also lose scholarships and find other educational and employment opportunities threatened. However, with the help of a criminal defense attorney, it may be possible to get the charges reduced or dismissed and protect a student’s future. An attorney could review the case for eyewitness testimony or other evidence that contradicts the prosecution’s version of events. In some situations, such as where the defendant has no prior criminal record, the attorney can see if the prosecutor will agree to a reduction in penalties in exchange for a guilty plea to a lesser offense.
Source: WKYT, “UK Fullback Collins Faces Multiple Charges After Arrest,” March 4, 2016
