According to a Tampa Police report, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount was involved in an attack on a Bucs fan on September 11th of this year. The victim was assaulted by two men and severely beaten. and LeGarrette Blount has been named as the "leader" of the attack.
The full details of the report can be found over at the St. Petersburg Times, but be warned, the story is grizzly. According to the police report, the victim and his girlfriend were driving in their pickup truck near Raymond James Stadium when they sideswiped the mirror on a Ford Expedition SUV. Blount and two other men were standing next to the SUV, and they promptly got in the car, cut off the victim's pickup, and proceeded to beat up the victim until he blacked out.
Make no mistake: this is a horrific story. There is no explanation in the St. Pete Times report about how Blount was identified as part of the attack -- although as the victim was a Buccaneers fan, it seems likely that he recognized him -- and no charges were pressed. The report also specifies that Blount did not take part in the assault himself, although apparently he also did nothing to stop the two people with him.
When approached by the St. Petersburg Times, Blount's only comment was, "Ah, man."
If this report is true -- and the Tampa Police seem like a reliable source -- this is a disappointing turn of events for Blount. He has been the Buccaneers' most consistent offensive weapon over the past two seasons, and he had appeared to leave his anger issues behind him. This news also comes as a further blow to the Buccaneers' local image, which has already suffered as a result of the Aquib Talib incident and their disappointing 2011 season.
For more on this story, see the St. Petersburg Times. To join in the conversation about this news, see the thread over at the blog Bucs Nation.