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Bucs' Talib charged with simple battery

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By JOSE PATINO GIRONA

jpatino@tampatrib.com

Published: October 23, 2009

Updated: 10/23/2009 12:24 am

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was charged with battery Thursday 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 striking cab driver David Duggan while Duggan was driving Talib and two other Buccaneers from a St. Petersburg nightclub to a Tampa hotel.

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

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 today to London for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and let the legal system run its course," team spokesman Jeff Kamis said.

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.

Ripplinger said investigators 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 by up to one year in county jail and can include a fine.

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."

Talib, 23, has been involved in two previous incidents involving teammates. At the NFL Rookie Symposium, Talib got into a fight with then-teammate Cory Boyd, a seventh-round pick who was later released

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

The No. 20 overall pick in the 2008 draft out of Kansas, Talib made two starts as a rookie and moved into the Bucs' starting lineup this season.

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

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