Before BB gun incident in 2012, Jameis Winston was stopped by police at gunpoint

Jameis Winston had a run-in with police before he was questioned about a BB gun fight at his apartment complex in 2012.

According to USA Today, the Florida State QB and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner was stopped by campus police with their guns drawn because he was carrying a pellet gun on a campus bike trail.

From USA Today:

Winston and teammate Chris Casher were briefly detained by FSU police on Nov. 25, 2012, after an unidentified person reported two men carrying a "long barreled handgun" on campus, according to a police report obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Later that week, Winston and Casher were investigated for $4,200 in damage at their apartment complex caused by a BB gun fight just hours after they were stopped on campus.

Per officer Anthony Gioannetti in the police report, he "believed the suspects may have had a firearm so for my safety and the safety of the other individuals in the area, I drew my firearm from it's holster and pointed it at the supects with finger outside the trigger guard. I stated several times in a loud voice for them to stop and to get on the ground. They dropped a long barreled pistol which I did not initially see. They eventually got on the ground. Officer Williams handcuffed both suspects behind their back. After they were handcuffed, I re-holstered my firearm."

Both players told police they were shooting at squirrels and said they told people on the trail it was a pellet gun. According to the police report, the gun and pellets were confiscated. Neither player was charged.

Winston's questioning for a BB gun incident at the apartment complex became public when allegations of sexual assault against Winston in December of 2012 surfaced in November of 2013. Winston was ultimately not charged with sexual assault and both Casher and Darby said they witnessed Winston having sex with the accuser, which they believed to be consensual. Casher and Darby also faced a Florida State disciplinary hearing for their roles in witnessing the encounter.

Having a gun on campus is also against FSU's code of conduct, though a spokesperson for the school told USA Today it could not comment if either player faced disciplinary hearings regarding the run-in with police.

Both Casher and Winston were redshirt freshman in 2012 when the BB gun battle occurred. According to USA Today, a senior associate athletics director at FSU arranged for players to pay for the cost of the damage at the apartment complex.

Winston was issued a citation for shoplifting crabs and crawfish at a Tallahassee, Fla., Publix in April. He was suspended from the baseball team and after completing the terms of his service for the citation, was reinstated.

At ACC media days on July 20, Winston said he needed to be more accountable to his team.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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