If you’re wondering why so many incidents involving Aaron Hernandez went unreported until now, it may be because some of them were covered up.
For instance, earlier on Tuesday we shared a report saying Hernandez punched a bouncer at a bar in 2007 when he was a 17-year-old at Florida. Hernandez apparently was at a campus bar called The Swamp and received two alcoholic drinks from a waitress and did not want to pay his bill. Bouncer Michael Taphorn supposedly got in Hernandez’s face and asked him to leave, and the tight end punched the bouncer in the side of the head.
Though Taphorn declined medical treatment at the time, he later discovered that he had a ruptured ear drum. The Orlando Sentinel says Gainesville police recommended felony charges for Hernandez, but the young player went uncharged. USA Today says that is probably because Florida reached a settlement with Taphorn.
According to USA Today, which obtained a supplemental report, Taphorn initially was adamant about pursuing charges. However, he later changed his mind and told police he was thinking about dropping the charges.
An investigator wrote in the report, “Taphorn did state that he had been contacted by legal staff and coaches with UF and that they may be working on an agreement. However, nothing is finalized.”
Taphorn was advised that he would have to contact the State Attorney’s Office if he wanted to drop the charges.
If Florida did reach a settlement with Taphorn so that he wouldn’t pursue charges, I’m sure that outcome would come as a huge shock to all of you college football fans. Programs paying off people or getting the police to drop charges? That sort of thing never happens!
