Turner Joseph Ellis, a 19-year-old student who played for Upper Iowa University’s football team, allegedly assaulted Iowa City police while using what has been described as a “football move”. The incident allegedly happened on in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, July 8.
Ellis, from Urbandale, Iowa, was arrested and charged with assault on persons in certain occupations, bodily injury — an aggravated misdemeanor — after he allegedly pushed an Iowa City police officer to the ground and causing a knee injury.
Ellis was, of course, intoxicated at the time of the incident. After his arrest, he was found to have a .142 blood alcohol level.
via Iowa City Press-Citizen:
The incident took place at about 1:19 a.m. Sunday in the block of 10 S. Dubuque St. and is reported as a separate incident to the strong-arm robbery that took place at a similar time and place in downtown Iowa City.
Police found Ellis standing over a male that was knocked out and on the ground. When police made contact with Ellis, he started to run away. Police chased him and finally caught him.
When the police tried to take Ellis into custody, he then allegedly pushed an officer to the ground, injuring the officer’s knee and tearing the officer’s pants. According to the police complaint, Ellis refereed to the push as a “football move.”
Ellis, who is listed on the 2018 Upper Iowa Peacocks roster as a redshirt freshman linebacker, was booked at the Johnson County Jail at about 2:09 a.m. Sunday with the assault charge along with public intoxication and interference with official acts, both simple misdemeanors.
At this time, the Upper Iowa University football team has yet to comment on Ellis’ arrest.
