Dan Skuta. (Orange County Sheriff)
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta was arrested last week in Orlando after a woman said he pushed her head into a glass window when she refused to give him her phone number, according to court documents.
Skuta, 30, was charged June 19 with battery, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to the Orange County court clerk’s website. He was released after posting $500 bond. Skuta, through his attorney, denies that he struck the woman, and says she was the one who hit him.
The woman said she was standing on the sidewalk with a friend when Skuta approached her and began “talking and flirting with her,” police said in the arrest report. She told police Skuta asked for her phone number and when she told him no, “a verbal altercation ensued between the two. The altercation turned physical when Skuta pushed (the victim’s) face with an open hand which caused the back of her head to hit a glass window.”
Police said the victim did not ask for medical attention and the officer did not see any injuries on her. The arresting officer said Skuta’s eyes appeared to be “blood shot/glassy” and the officer said he “could smell the impurities of alcohol on his breath.”
You can read the full arrest report from the case below:
Skuta was arrested about 2:50 a.m. June 19. He was released from custody after posting bail at 1 p.m. that same day. The arrest was first reported on June 27. He has pleaded not guilty.
His attorney, Mark NeJame, said in a statement to WOKV-TV that the events in the arrest report “simply did not happen” and said Skuta is innocent.
“Eye witnesses who we have already received statements from in our initial investigation will attest that Dan was alongside his girlfriend when this fabricated event supposedly took place and only verbally instructed two women who were harassing his friends to leave them alone,” NeJame said in the statement, adding that it was Skuta who was hit by one of the women involved in the incident. “We are confident this will be resolved favorably to Dan and the truth will come out as to his innocence and non-involvement.”
You can read the full statement below:
Dan Skuta’s attorney just sent us a statement regarding the arrest.
@ActionNewsJax
He was scheduled for an arraignment hearing on July 20, but the appearance has been cancelled, court records show.
“The Jaguars are aware of the situation involving linebacker Dan Skuta and are currently gathering more information,” the team said in a statement to NFL.com. “The team has been in constant communication with Dan through this process in its entirety. No further comment can be made at this time.”
First-degree battery, or simple battery, is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail or up to 12 months of probation and a fine of up to $1,000, according to Florida law.
