University of Alabama junior running back Dee Hart was arrested Sunday, Feb. 16 and charged with giving false information to law enforcement and second-degree possession of marijuana, Sgt. Brent Blakely of the Tuscaloosa Police Department confirmed to The Crimson White.
Hart, 21, was arrested by the TPD and booked into jail at 9:20 p.m. Sunday. He was released on a $1,300 bond at 10:33 p.m. and both of his charges were labeled as misdemeanors, according to a report from TideSports.com.
Blankley said officers were notified of someone trying to use potentially counterfeit money at the Texaco gas station on Greensboro Avenue in Tuscaloosa. Officers arrived at the gas station to find the person still in the store. The person gave the officers a false name but was later identified as Hart. Hart was placed into custody for giving false information to a law enforcement officer and taken to the TPD for processing.
(See also “Hart, Jones settling in to positions on special teams“)
When Hart was being let out of the police car, the officers smelled a “very strong odor of marijuana” coming from the back seat. A ziplock bag with eight grams of marijuana was beside Hart’s feet. Hart was then transported to the Tuscaloosa County Jail.
Blakely said the investigation concerning the counterfeit money is still ongoing.
UA Athletics released the following statement on Monday:
“Dee Hart has not been a part of the football team since the bowl game and has not participated in any of the off season program. Hopefully he will learn from this mistake and continue to work toward completing his degree, which he is on track to do by the summer.”
In his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide a year ago, Hart rushed for 78 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries. He has carried the ball 43 times for 166 yards in his career at Alabama.
The Orlando, Fla., native also saw extensive playing time on special teams, where he accumulated nine total tackles and forced one fumble in the 2013 season.
Hart’s time at Alabama was plagued with injuries, as he sustained two separate ACL injuries in his tenure with the Crimson Tide. The first forced him to redshirt in 2011, while the second ended his redshirt-freshman season early.
(See also “DeAndrew White, Dee Hart out for season“)
This is the second recent arrest of an Alabama football player, as early-enrollee cornerback Tony Brown was arrested on Jan. 19 on charges of failure to obey and resisting arrest.
(See also “Tony Brown arrested over weekend“)
