Another instance hinting at Aaron Hernandez‘s questionable past has emerged.
Hernandez was involved in an altercation outside a restaurant in Gainesville during his freshman year at Florida, before he had played a down for the Gators, according to a police report obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
During the incident, which allegedly occurred outside The Swamp, a popular bar near campus, Hernandez reportedly punched a restaurant employee in the side of the head, resulting in a ruptured eardrum and short-term hearing loss. Hernandez was 17 at the time.
The Wall Street Journal describes the incident as follows:
“According to the police report, here’s what took place: A waitress brought Hernandez two ‘alcoholic drinks.’ After Hernandez finished the drinks, a restaurant employee named Michael Taphorn delivered a bill. Hernandez said he hadn’t ordered the drinks and refused to pay, at which point a “verbal altercation” began between the two men. Hernandez called a witness over to try to intervene, but a resolution couldn’t be reached. Hernandez was told to leave and escorted out by Taphorn.
After stepping outside, according to the report, Hernandez told police Taphorn ‘got in his face’ and began yelling at him. As Taphorn turned to walk away, Hernandez punched him in the side of the head — a fact Hernandez did not dispute.
Taphorn complained of hearing loss in his ear but refused medical treatment on the scene, the report said. The next day, however, doctors discovered his right eardrum had burst, an injury he was told would take four to six weeks to heal, according to the police report.”
Hernandez was not arrested following the altercation, but the Gainesville Police Department reportedly recommended a charge of felony battery based on the severity of Taphorn’s injuries. The charge carries a maximum of five years in prison for adults in the state of Florida.
Neither Taphorn nor Hernandez’s attorney, Michael Fee, could be reached for comment by the newspaper. Hernandez is currently imprisoned at Bristol County House of Corrections and awaiting trail for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
