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Bucs cornerback Talib charged with battery

Staff file photo by CLIFF MCBRIDE

Talib is expected to make the trip tomorrow to London for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

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By JOSÉ PATIÑO GIRONA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2009

Updated: 10/22/2009 08:39 pm

TAMPA - Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was charged with battery today for striking a cab driver two months ago, the Pinellas County State Attorney's Office said.

The state attorney's office charged Talib with simple battery, a misdemeanor, for an Aug. 19 incident in which he is accused of punching cab driver David Duggan while Duggan was driving Talib and two other Buccaneers from a St. Petersburg night club to a Tampa hotel.

Talib hit Duggan while the cabbie was driving on Interstate 275, said Assistant State Attorney Richard Ripplinger.

"It was pretty hard as it was described to us," Ripplinger said. "It hurt."

Talib won't be charged with resisting arrest without violence because alcohol might have played a role in Talib not exiting the cab gracefully, Ripplinger said.

Talib is expected to make the trip Friday to London for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

"We were made aware the charges were going to be filed today and we will continue to monitor the situation and let the legal system run its course," team spokesman Jeff Kamis said.

In August, Duggan, the cab driver, said he picked up three men at a St. Petersburg lounge called Nova 535 at around 10:45 p.m. He was taking them to Homewood Suites near Tampa International Airport.

Ripplinger said Talib was sitting behind the cab driver, Bucs linebacker Angelo Crowell was in the front passenger seat and Bucs defensive back Torrie Cox was in the back seat behind Crowell.

Investigators say that as Duggan drove the men on I-275, Talib punched Duggan on the right side of the head, striking his neck and ear.

Duggan swerved the cab and stopped on I-275 at Gandy Boulevard to call police.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested Talib at 11:10 p.m. at I-275 and Gandy in Pinellas County. He was charged at the time with simple battery and resisting arrest without violence.

Crowell told investigators that he was texting while in the car and felt the car swerve. Cox told FHP that Talib hit the cab driver, Ripplinger said, but said Cox is now telling the state attorney's office he was asleep at the time.

Ripplinger said investigators still are not sure what led Talib to hit Duggan.

"No one reported that there was any rational justification for hitting the man," Ripplinger said. "There was no argument reported to us."

A first-degree misdemeanor is punishable for up to one year in county jail and can also include a fine. The punishment could simply be a fine or a year of probation, Ripplinger said.

Talib could apply for a pretrial intervention program where he admits guilt and must adhere to a supervised program for a year, Ripplinger said.

Ron Hanes, Talib's attorney, said he and his client are "pleased the resisting of arrest without violence charge is gone.''

"That's good for Aqib,'' Hanes said. "We're hopeful the league will let the system play out and review the case, like they would anybody."

Duggan has hired attorney James Mancuso but it is not clear if he will pursue legal action against Talib. Mancuso declined comment today.

Talib, 23, has been involved in two prior incidents involving teammates.

At the NFL Rookie Symposium, Talib got into a fight with then-teammate Cory Boyd, a seventh-round pick later released by the team.

This past offseason, Talib swung his helmet in anger at teammate Donald Penn, accidentally striking cornerback Torrie Cox in the head. Cox sustained a gash that required stitches.

Talib, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2008 draft out of Kansas, made two starts as a rookie and moved into the Bucs' starting lineup this season. He has seven career interceptions and tied a team record with three interceptions in a loss at Philadelphia two weeks ago.

Reporter Anwar S. Richardson contributed to this report. Reporter José Patiño Girona can be reached at (813) 259-7659.

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