Penn State football star defender Abdul Carter has been charged with misdemeanor assault in connection with an alleged collision with a tow truck driver in March.
Carter, 20, is accused of pulling the driver out of the truck and throwing him to the ground during the incident. The Nittany Lion linebacker-turned-defensive end was arraigned this week on summary charges of second-degree misdemeanor simple assault and harassment, according to multiple reports, including Statecollege.com, which obtained an affidavit of the incident from State University Police. He was indicted.
The tow driver reportedly showed up just after midnight on March 16 to tow Carter's car, which had been parked outside the apartment complex without permission. Carter and the driver collided, the conflict escalated, and Carter reportedly tried to prevent the tow driver from getting into his vehicle. The tow truck driver then “grabbed a metal bar from the truck and yelled at Mr. Carter to back away,” according to an affidavit obtained by Statecollege.com.
Statecollege.com reported that bystander video shows Carter putting her arm around the man's stomach and repeatedly pulling him forcefully and taking control of the steering wheel after the tow driver returned to his truck. It is reported that this has been shown.
Police said Carter eventually carried the driver across a large lot and threw him into the grass.
The driver was treated the next day and was diagnosed with a non-displaced rib fracture, according to an affidavit obtained by Statecollege.com.
A Penn State spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of the allegations against Mr. Abdul Carter. These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed.” . “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be commenting further.”
Carter appeared in the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on April 13 and spoke to the media afterwards. Carter is a two-time All-Big Ten selection and was named to the conference's first-team defense in 2023.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. To contact him, fbodan@ydr.com Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
