WICHITA, Kan. — Dallas Cowboys running back and Wichita native Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita earlier this week, police said.
Officers responded to a domestic violence call in the 700 block of South Main at about 3:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Police said a 22-year-old woman reported she and Randle were arguing in a hotel room. The couple has a child together, and she told police she was at the hotel so Randle could see the child.
Officers found marijuana in the room, and issued a Notice to Appear citation to Randle. He was given a court date on a misdemeanor drug charge.
Randle denied to KAKE News Wednesday night domestic violence was part of the case. He also offered a short comment on Twitter, without referring to the case directly: “Back to the basics…. FAITH FAMILY & FOOTBALL.”
On Twitter, his NFL agent Erik Burkhardt wrote,
“Joseph Randle was NOT arrested. He was cited with a ticket, and the police officer then left his hotel room.”
“There was zero “violence” of any kind, domestic or otherwise. He was asking three people to exit his room who didn’t want to leave.
“It was loud. Cops were called. Ticket issued. People and officer left. He went to bed.”
Wichita Police also issued a response, saying it was an arrest:
“Recently some questions have been raised about the difference between a Notice to Appear (NTA) and an arrest. An NTA is basically a citation for a misdemeanor crime. It is technically an arrest and an arrest report is filled out but the person isn’t booked into jail. The person is released with an agreement to appear for a set court date. This helps reduce overcrowding and jail expenses. It is common practice for certain non-violent misdemeanor crimes such as shoplifting and possession of marijuana.
Randle, a former Southeast High standout, was previously arrested in October, 2014 for shoplifting underwear and cologne from a Dallas area mall.
A local attorney, Dan Monnat, says because Randle is an NFL star it’s easy for the public to make assumptions. “When an NFL player is involved, that we or the public, not leap to any conclusion that’s not justified by any evidence known to us.”
KAKE TV – By Monica Castro