An incident report from Jameis Winston's shoplfiting citation paints a picture of a 20-year-old who didn't just forget to pay for his seafood.
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USA TODAY Sports on Monday offered an account from the police incident report on Winston, the Florida State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, citing specifics that suggest Winston tried to dodge a security officer and then misled police about whether he also took a package of butter without paying.
Winston, also the Seminoles relief pitcher, suffered a four-day suspension from the baseball team for the citation - the time it took Winston to complete 20 hours of community service to have the citation wiped clean from his record as part of his agreement to enter a pre-trial diversion program.
The most damning piece of evidence came from comments in the incident report that stated he paused in front of a Leon County deputy who was working as a security officer to avoid walking in front of him with the groceries.
The report said Winston ordered three pounds of steamed crab legs with Old Bay seasoning and one pound of steamed crawfish. He left the store, apparently waiting for the order to be prepared, and then returned for the seafood. On his way out, Winston picked up a package of butter.
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"As he was leaving the store, Winston appeared to pause in front of a Leon County deputy who was working in-store security detail at the time," USA TODAY Sports reported. "The pause, the incident report said, appeared to be an attempt to avoid walking in front of the deputy. He said Winston then walked behind the deputy, past all registers and out of the store."
A Publix employee watched as Winston left and surmised the quarterback hadn't paid because he didn't have a grocery bag. The employee and the store manager both watched as Winston left the store; they figured he was trying to find a shopping cart - until he never returned.
The cost of the crab legs, crawfish and butter totaled $32.72. Winston denied taking the butter, the incident report said. He told deputies he left it in a bin inside the store because he realized he did not need it.
The investigating deputy went back to the grocery store and searched the bins in which Winston claimed to have left the butter, but none was found, the incident report said. However, three hours had lapsed from the time Winston left the store to the time police went to his home to talk to him.
It was unclear, however, whether any employees were asked about finding the butter.
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