The Collegian
Friday, April 19, 2024

UR football player charged with simple assault, awaits next court date

<p>The Richmond-John Marshall criminal/traffic general district court in Richmond, Virginia.&nbsp;</p>

The Richmond-John Marshall criminal/traffic general district court in Richmond, Virginia. 

Editor's note: The Collegian does not name victims of crime without their permission. 

University of Richmond police charged a UR football player with misdemeanor simple assault for a Jan. 24 incident in Jeter Hall.

Redshirt sophomore Duncan Trau was arrested on campus by URPD on Jan. 30 in connection to a simple assault that took place at 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. The victim suffered an abrasion, and the offense was reported in the afternoon of Jan. 25, according to the URPD crime log.

URPD Assistant Chief of Police Beth Simonds confirmed Trau’s arrest and that the arrest -- made on campus at the UR police department -- was for the reported incident.

"I can confirm the arrest was for that simple assault case that's listed on our crime log," Simonds said on Jan. 30.

A simple assault is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to Virginia law.

Trau appeared for his Tuesday, Feb. 11, court date at the Richmond-John Marshall criminal/traffic general district court. He is scheduled to appear again on April 20, according to court records.

The complainant for the case is URPD Detective George Mihalcoe, according to court records. 

Mihalcoe could not be reached for comment.

Trau remains a student and member of the football team, according to Matt McCollester, assistant athletic director for communications.

“Per our Athletic Department and University policy, Duncan Trau is currently enrolled in classes and permitted to practice as a member of the football team,” McCollester wrote in an email.

Attorney W. Joseph Owen III of Midlothian lawfirm Owen & Owens is listed as Trau’s lawyer, according to court records. Owen is a 1972 UR alumnus and was a “four year scholarship football player,” according to his law firm biography.

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In the opening remarks at the “No Room for Hate” event on Jan. 30, Keith McIntosh, vice president for Information Services and chief information officer, announced that an arrest had been made following the report of an assault.

“The University of Richmond police department investigated the report of an assault against one of our students,” McIntosh said at the event. “Today, an individual was arrested in connection with that incident.” 

Contact managing editor Arrman Kyaw at arrman.kyaw@richmond.edu. 

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