UF football player J.C. Jackson arrested in connection with armed robbery
Florida Gators redshirt freshman cornerback J.C. Jackson was arrested Saturday in connection with an armed robbery and is being held in Alachua County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
According to Gainesville Police, Jackson entered the apartment of an acquaintance with two other men a little before 4 p.m. Saturday. Jackson then quickly left, the report stated, while the two other men pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the resident and two visitors.
The two male suspects made the victims get on the floor and removed their pockets. One of the suspects pressed a gun to the face of one of the victim's while demanding to know where he kept his marijuana and money.
The suspects left with $382, marijuana and two video gaming consoles, the report states, and were seen leaving in a red "Nissan” type car.
The reports states that Jackson, 19, called the apartment owner to see if he wanted to hang out and smoke marijuana. The victim identified Jackson, who later would turn himself into Alachua County Sherriff's Office to face first-degree felony charges.
He currently is being held in Alachua County Jail.
"We are aware of the news involving JC Jackson and he is currently dealing with a serious issue," Gators coach Jim McElwain said in a statement released by UF. "We don't condone any of his actions and it is not something that reflects on the expectations we have in the program. It is being handled accordingly due to the severity of his actions."
A native of Immokalee, Jackson lined up with the Gators' first-team defense during spring practices and is expected to be one of the team's rising stars.
This is not Jackson's first brush with trouble at UF.
Last Christmas Eve in Immokalee, Jackson was grazed on the eyelid by a bullet during a shooting. Jackson and two friends were in a car when someone in a passing vehicle fired a shot into the vehicle.
Also in December, Jackson, cornerback Jalen Tabor and quarterback Treon Harris were was stopped for speeding on campus. UF Police Department officers reported smelling marijuana and finding two small bags of it a storage pocket of the vehicle.
No charges were filed since none of the players was in possession of marijuana and the car did not belong to any of the three Gators.