NFL draft prospect Caleb Brantley charged after allegedly knocking out woman

Former Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Brantley is facing a misdemeanor battery charge. The charge stems from an altercation with a woman on April 13 that ended with Brantley allegedly knocking the woman unconscious.

According to the police report, Brantley argued with the victim after he reportedly made crude comments to her. The woman pushed Brantley, and he reacted by punching the 5’6, 120-pound woman in the face. The woman lost consciousness and suffered dental injuries that will require a root canal to repair.

On Tuesday, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times obtained video of the incident. Baker reported that Brantley’s attorneys said the video shows the alleged victim walking away from Brantley.

Initially, Brantley told law enforcement that he was the victim and that the woman had hit him in the face, and that he had simply shoved her, according to 247Sports’ Thomas Goldkamp. Two witnesses gave statements to the police that contradicted Brantley’s, and the second witness identified Brantley in a photo lineup.

The police report states that Brantley’s “use of force was clearly out of retaliation and not self defense,” and that the force Brantley used “far exceeded what was reasonable or necessary” in that situation.