PSU football player’s assault charge could be dismissed after placement in pre-trial program
A star Penn State football player charged with assault after a scuffle with a tow truck driver — one that left the man with a rib fracture — was accepted Wednesday into a pre-trial intervention program.
Abdul J. Carter, 20, was placed into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for one year, Centre County Court Administrator Kendra Miknis wrote in a text message to the Centre Daily Times.
The program is meant for non-violent offenders who have limited or no prior criminal record. It gives people an opportunity to have the charges dismissed and their records expunged if completed successfully.
The program is offered at the discretion of Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna’s office. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Messages left Wednesday with Cantorna and the prosecutor assigned to the case were not immediately returned.
Carter was also ordered by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall to complete five days of community service and online anger management courses, Miknis wrote. Standard conditions also prohibit participants from using controlled substances and requires them to remain arrest-free.
Defense lawyer Julian Allatt told the CDT he “can’t comment on it.”
Carter was accused of forcefully pulling the driver from his truck and throwing him to the ground in March outside of a student apartment complex in College Township.
The driver attempted to tow Carter’s 2022 Dodge Challenger because it did not have a parking pass, State College police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Carter questioned the driver’s authority to tow the vehicle after an alarm sounded and told an officer he wanted to be sure his car wasn’t being stolen, police wrote.
After Carter refused to provide the information needed to release the car, police wrote the driver resumed hooking it up and tried to return to the truck.
Carter, police wrote, told him he was going to call 911 and used his forearm to block the driver from getting inside. The driver grabbed a metal bar, police wrote, and yelled at Carter to back away.
The defensive end was accused of then grabbing the man from behind and forcefully pulling him from the truck. Carter then carried the driver across a parking lot and threw him onto a grassy area of the ground, police wrote.
At least some of the tussle was caught on video. The driver went to a hospital the day after the confrontation and an X-ray revealed the fractured rib, police wrote.
Carter was charged in April with a misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary count of harassment. At the time he was charged, Penn State Athletics said in a written statement that it was aware of the charges.
“These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed,” the department wrote. “We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter.”
Carter played in the annual Blue-White game, which took place about a month after the altercation. The junior is a projected starter on defense and is expected to play a major role for the Nittany Lions in the fall.
He accumulated 11 sacks over the last two seasons as a linebacker, making first team All-Big Ten from the coaches and second team All-Big Ten from the media as a sophomore. He moved to defensive end this offseason.
