Gamecocks Garcia Suspended After Arrest

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina quarterback recruit Stephen Garcia was suspended indefinitely Wednesday from participating in team activities less than a week after he was arrested and charged with drunkenness.
The decision by coach Steve Spurrier means Garcia will not be allowed participate in team weightlifting and running sessions until further notice, athletic department spokesman Steve Fink said.
Spurrier would not talk about the arrest or the suspension, Fink said Wednesday.
Garcia, 19, was arrested early Saturday morning in a restaurant and nightclub district near the university and charged with drunkenness and failure to stop for a police officer.
An officer responding to an altercation said Garcia ran away from him and tried to hide in an alley, then turned toward the officer "in a threatening manner," according to an incident report.
Police say Garcia had been at a private party at a club when the incident occurred. Garcia was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond Saturday evening. A hearing on the charges scheduled for Wednesday was postponed until March 7.
The highly touted recruit out of Jefferson High in Tampa, Fla., enrolled at South Carolina last month.
Last year, South Carolina's starting quarterback Blake Mitchell also was charged in an incident in the same area near the campus. He was accused of punching a bouncer -- an assault charge that was later dropped -- and spent a few hours in jail.

South Carolina QB Arrested

South Carolina starting quarterback Blake Mitchell was arrested for assault Wednesday after apparently punching another man in the eye and has been suspended from the team, according to police and a Gamecocks spokesman.
Richland County jail officials said Mitchell, 21, was being booked into the facility for simple assault, a misdemeanor.
Mitchell was suspended indefinitely from the team by coach Steve Spurrier, according to athletic department spokesman Steve Fink.
A Columbia police report said Mitchell was involved in an incident early Wednesday at a bar near the university.
The complainant, listed as Kylan Ertzberger, told police Mitchell approached him about 1:45 a.m. and "initiated a verbal confrontation."
As Ertzberger turned away, Mitchell "punched him in his left eye," according to the report.
The report said Ertzberger told Mitchell "he did not like that the subject tried to enter (the bar) with underage girls." That's when the confrontation took place.
Police arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later, the report said.
Ertzberger is not a member of the football team, and Fink did not think Ertzberger was part of any athletic team.
A message left for Ertzberger was not immediately returned.
Mitchell, a junior, came to South Carolina before the 2003 season and had started 11 games last season and both contests this year.
On Spurrier's weekly radio show before the Gamecocks' opener at Mississippi State on Aug. 31, the coach said Mitchell has a chance to surprise a lot of people and become the all-Southeastern Conference quarterback this fall.
Mitchell and the offense, though, have struggled. He has completed 28 of 44 passes for 247 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
The Gamecocks take on Wofford this Saturday.