A Tarrant County Grand Jury indicted KaVontae Turpin on a misdemeanor charge of assault against a family member.
The former TCU football wide receiver and kick returner faces up to one year in prison and a $4,000 fine if convicted on the class-A misdemeanor charge, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office.
The indictment was unsealed Tuesday; a court date is still to be determined.
In October, Turpin was arrested after witnesses said he dragged his girlfriend and slammed her to the ground at the Edge 55 apartment complex because he thought she was sending photos of herself to other people.
Turpin was first suspended from the team. He was released from the team on Oct. 23 after details of an additional battery charge came to light.
In March 2018, authorities in Las Cruces, New Mexico charged him with a battery charge, criminal damage to the property of a household member and interference with communications charge.
Head football coach Gary Patterson said the team saves every document they receive and the information about the earlier incident said nothing about the assault.
“Our team did not do enough to get the full story,” the university said in a statement. “We would not have allowed Turpin to play had we known about an outstanding arrest warrant.”
Turpin was not invited to participate in TCU’s Pro Day last month. He hosted his own Pro Day at Paschal High School and worked out with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins.
Turpin has another workout scheduled with the Cincinnati Bengals later this month.
Turpin’s speed and agility allowed him to play a significant role in TCU’s offense despite his 5-foot-9-inch build. Turpin ended his career with a 1,748 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches as a wide receiver.
From the kick return spot, Turpin totaled a combined 2,726 yards. He is TCU’s all-time leader in special team touchdowns with six, a mark which he set in his final game with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown.
