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USF tailback Michel Dukes arrested on domestic battery charge

The Clemson transfer has been indefinitely suspended from the football team, the school indicated.
 
USF running back Michel Dukes (2) carries the ball in an early-September game against Howard last season. Dukes, 22, has been indefinitely suspended from the team following his arrest over the weekend on a domestic battery charge.
USF running back Michel Dukes (2) carries the ball in an early-September game against Howard last season. Dukes, 22, has been indefinitely suspended from the team following his arrest over the weekend on a domestic battery charge. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
Published April 30, 2023

USF senior tailback Michel Dukes remained in jail Sunday afternoon following his arrest Saturday on a felony charge of domestic battery by strangulation.

Dukes, 22, was arrested late Saturday morning on USF’s campus. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Caroline Tesch Arkin set his bond at $2,000, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrest records.

Dukes has been indefinitely suspended from the football team while the investigation continues, the school indicated in a statement.

USF running back Michel Dukes was arrested Saturday on a felony complaint of domestic battery by strangulation. [ Courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office ]

After receiving a tip from a victim who reported being assaulted by Dukes, deputies learned a verbal argument had occurred between Dukes and the victim, according to a sheriff’s office news release. At some point, while at the victim’s residence near campus, deputies say the argument turned physical and Dukes strangled the victim.

“I applaud this victim for coming forward,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. “We do not tolerate domestic violence. There is never a reason or excuse for this type of behavior. Our Victim Advocates will ensure this individual gets connected with any and all resources.”

A Charleston, South Carolina, native, Dukes transferred to USF in 2022 after three seasons at Clemson. He ranked second on the team with five rushing touchdowns last season, gaining 188 yards on 54 carries and catching eight passes for 72 yards.

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