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Bucs Safety Nicholson Arrested After Scuffle Outside Pinellas Club

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 21, 2008

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Donte Nicholson

ST. PETERSBURG - Bucs safety Donte Nicholson got into a scuffle with security guards outside a bar early Sunday and was shot with an electric stun gun twice before he was arrested, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Nicholson, 26, was charged with battery and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail within hours of his arrest after posting $300 bail.

The scuffle broke out at The Venue, a nightclub at 2675 Ulmerton Road, where Nicholson and his roommate, Torrey Robinson, 31, had been socializing, Sgt. Jim Bordner said.

It was closing time, and Robinson, who was outside the club, tried to re-enter, but that is not allowed under club policy, Bordner said. Robinson claimed he was a Buccaneers player as he flashed an expensive watch, hitting one of the security guards in the face with it, Bordner said.

Two off-duty deputies -- who were working security at the club along with the club's security officers -- were summoned, Bordner said. They tried arresting Robinson, but he pulled away, Bordner said. A tussle ensued, with one of the two deputies shooting Robinson with his Taser, or stun gun, Bordner said.

The two deputies had just finished handcuffing Robinson when they realized Nicholson was trying to come to his roommate's aid but was stopped by security guards, Bordner said. One of the deputies told the security guards to let Nicholson go and then told Nicholson to roll onto his stomach on the ground, Bordner said.

Instead, Nicholson tried to get up, Bordner said. The deputy was tired from having tussled with Robinson, and in front of him was a 6-foot-2-inch man weighing 260 pounds, Bordner said.

When Nicholson refused to stay on the ground, the deputy fired a shot at him with his stun gun, Bordner said.

It didn't faze Nicholson, Bordner said. As Nicholson began to pull the electric probes from his body, the deputy reactivated his Taser, sending another jolt of electricity into Nicholson's body. That subdued Nicholson, who then was arrested, Bordner said.

Like Nicholson, Robinson was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. He was released within hours of his arrest after posting $400 bail. The two men live at 500 Trinity Lane in St. Petersburg.

Nicholson was drafted in the fifth round by the Buccaneers in 2005 from the University of Oklahoma. He has played 11 games in three NFL seasons, with zero starts, and he played only one game in 2007.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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