A Ball State University football player faces a preliminary felony charge after he reportedly refused to pay for his taxi fare, according to an arrest report from Ball State police.
Dane Cook, who was a sophomore free safety on the 2008 Ball State football team, was arrested on the preliminary charges of public intoxication and theft at about 4 a.m. Saturday at Beacon Hill Apartments, police said.
Cook declined to comment on the arrest through Associate Athletics Director Joe Hernandez. Coach Stan Parrish and Athletics Director Tom Collins were unavailable for comment because they were out of town Thursday.
According to the report, officers were called to Beacon Hill Apartments on Saturday because of a fight between a taxi driver and two men who refused to pay their fare.
When the police arrived, Cook and the driver were standing next to the taxi while the other man - Ryan Alexander - was walking away, police said.
Cook and the taxi driver stayed next to the vehicle, police said. Alexander continued to walk away after looking back at the police and after an officer told him to stop, according to the report. Alexander then ran and was stopped shortly after, according to the report.
Alexander said he did not see the officers and refused to take a Breathalyzer test, according to the report. He faces preliminary charges of public intoxication, resisting law enforcement and theft, police said.
Cook stayed near the taxi throughout the time police were at the scene, police said.
Officer Tom Honeycutt, who wrote the arrest report, said he is not sure why the men refused to pay their fare.
Cook was released from jail at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday on $6,000 bond, jail officials said.
If convicted of theft, which is a Class D felony, Cook could face six months to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Indiana Code. If convicted of public intoxication, which is a Class B misdemeanor, Cook could face 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to Indiana Code.
Cook assisted on four tackles for Ball State during the 2008 season. The former Delta High School player was redshirted by Ball State during the 2006 season and did not play during the 2007 season.
Hernandez said Ball State is aware of Cook's arrest, and he was disciplined by Parrish. Ball State is still gathering more information about the arrest, Hernandez said.
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