Former GAC Running Back Charged With Assault

Caleb King, a former football star for and , has been formally charged in the April beating of a man outside a birthday party in Minnesota.

The Anoka County Attorney's Office in Minnesota issued a press release regarding the charges on Aug. 10.

King, a 24-year-old Lilburn resident, has been charged with third-degree assault and fifth-degree assault for allegedly punching a man in the face, , according to the release.

The victim suffered a skull fracture and a nasal fracture, and he received 19 stitches to repair some of the injuries.

“Uncontrolled anger mixed with alcohol leads to dangerous situations,” Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo said in the press release.

If convicted, King faces up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for the third-degree assault charge, and up to 90 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine for the fifth-degree assault charge.

According to the state of Minnesota's criminal complaint, the victim was sitting in the passenger side of a friend's vehicle when King allegedly approached him about 3:20 a.m. on April 28. The complaint states that King accused the man of calling the football player "names" earlier in the evening.

The victim stated that he tried to roll the windows of the car and lock the door, but that he was punched in the face and then pulled out of the car by his neck, the complaint stated. King, according to the complaint, denies punching the man.

In the complaint, it is indicated that King told police that he leaned into the driver's side of the vehicle to talk to the defendant, and that he thought the victim "lunged" at him, knocked both of them to ground, and then landed on his own face.

According to the state's complaint, there also was a 9-1-1 call from the victim's cell phone that lasted three minutes and forty-eight seconds. An investigation later revealed that a dispatch employee could hear commotion during the call, but that there was no direct contact with the caller.

King was a star running back for Parkview his sophomore and junior seasons, but he transferred to Greater Atlanta Christian Schools before his senior year.

He also played for the University of Georgia but was ruled for the team last fall.

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