Vols football player Jeremy Banks was arrested on September 15 due to an outstanding warrant. The sophomore University of Tennessee linebacker remained with the team following his arrest which appeared to be a minor incident, but now we are seeing video of the arrest.
In the video, Banks can be seen calling Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt while he is being cooperative.
Pruitt speaks with the police officers to gather information on the arrest — which was based on a warrant issued from a failed court appearance for a previous citation — before Banks is booked and released shortly after on $500 bond.
While Banks was initially respectful and cooperative, things later took a turn.
Banks eventually began berating the officers and was throwing out expletives and some questionable comments that some perceived as threats.
“Y’all police are some p—–s, bro,” Banks said. “Real s–t, like, I don’t f–k with y’all. I don’t give a fuck. That’s why all my f—ing life I hated cops. Ma’am, I don’t think you want to be an intern, because where I’m from, we shoot at cops. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee.”
He continued to speak to the woman in the car, asking: “What’s your name? I remember faces, too. What’s your name, intern? You go to school here, huh? You going to see me around. That ain’t a threat. I just want to let you know.”
Here is the entire video:
After the video became public, Banks issued an apology through the school.
“I want to sincerely apologize to my family, the University of Tennessee and the law enforcement community,” Banks said in a statement. “I deeply regret my language and attitude in the video. I have great respect for our policemen and women, and I am embarrassed by my actions that night. That’s not who I am. I promise to be a better representative for the University of Tennessee moving forward.”
There is no word on whether Banks’ status with the program will be impacted following the release of the arrest video.
Up next for the Vols is a big clash with the SEC rival Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, October 5 at Neyland. Kickoff between Tennessee and the No. 3 Bulldogs is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
