Penn State football's Abdul Carter charged with assault

Frank Bodani, York Daily Record

Penn State football star defender Abdul Carter has been charged with a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with an alleged confrontation with a tow truck driver in March.

Carter, 20, is accused of pulling the driver from his truck and throwing him to the ground during the incident. The Nittany Lion linebacker-turned-defensive end was charged this week with second-degree misdemeanor simple assault and a summary count of harassment, according to multiple reports, including Statecollege.com, which obtained the incident affidavit from State College police.

The tow driver reportedly showed up just after midnight on March 16 to tow Carter's car, which had been parked outside an apartment complex without a permit. Carter and the driver got into a confrontation, which reportedly escalated into Carter attempting to block the tow driver from entering his vehicle. The tow driver then "grabbed a metal bar from the truck and yelled at Carter to back away," according to the affidavit Statecollege.com obtained.

Witness video reportedly shows that, once the tow driver got back inside his truck, Carter wrapped his arms around the man’s abdomen and forcefully pulled him multiple times to break his grip from the steering wheel, according to the Statecollege.com report.

Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (11) motions to the crowd during a White Out game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. Carter, a sophomore, has recorded 11 total tackles, one sack and one interception through the first four games of the season.
Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (11) motions to the crowd during a White Out game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. Carter, a sophomore, has recorded 11 total tackles, one sack and one interception through the first four games of the season.

Carter eventually carried the driver across a lot and threw him in the grass, police wrote.

The driver was diagnosed with a non-displaced rib fracture after seeking treatment the following day, according to the affidavit obtained by Statecollege.com.

"We are aware of the charges against Abdul Carter. These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed," a Penn State spokesperson said in a statement. "We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter."

Carter played in the Blue-White Game on April 13 at Beaver Stadium and spoke to the media afterward. 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. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Abdul Carter of Penn State football charged with assaulting driver

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