Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin made his first public comments about linebacker Josh Walker on Wednesday night. Walker was arrested last week in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.
"He's been suspended indefinitely, so he's no longer here. He's gone back home," Sumlin said.
When asked if there was a chance for Walker to rejoin the team, Sumlin wouldn't comment, but the fact that Walker has been sent home is telling. Legally, A&M cannot comment fully on Walker's status at the university until the semester starts next Monday.
A junior from Gilmer in east Texas, Walker was arrested on Friday afternoon on charges of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and interfering with emergency request for assistance after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. He posted $9,000 bond at the Brazos County Jail on Saturday night and was released Sunday.
The incident occurred at the couple's College Station apartment just after 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. According to a College Station police department probable cause statement obtained by KAGS, Walker and his girlfriend were arguing when he shoved her and she fell into a child's rocking horse, causing a large bruise to form.
After the alleged assault, the woman attempted to call police but Walker took her phone from her, and said, "you're not going to call them (the police)." He later handed her his phone and sarcastically told her to call police, but when she did, he "snatched" it back from her and put it in his pocket. However, the call went through and police heard a woman crying and sounds of hitting and sounds of a struggle, and dispatched a unit to the apartment complex.
The probable cause statement says Walker admitted to shoving his girlfriend, but says that her feet were crossed, which is why she fell. Walker was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member because the couple's child was present. He was also charged with interfering with an emergency request for assistance.
Walker started 5 games in his Aggie career, making 45 tackles. As a senior at Gilmer High School, he was a U.S. Army All-American in 2013.
