Former U Of M Basketball Player Pleads Guilty In Assault Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A former University of Minnesota basketball player reached a plea deal in court Monday after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend last November.
Daquein McNeil, a sophomore with the Gophers at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in Hennepin County Court on Monday. He was also facing a charge of domestic assault by strangulation, but that charge will be dismissed.
McNeil will receive a stay of imposition, three years of probation and must receive domestic abuse counseling. He is currently in jail, but will be released from custody at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 31.
According to charges filed in the case, the Baltimore native was accused of assaulting a woman he had been dating for about 10 months. He attacked the woman at her apartment, dragged her from her bed and poured alcohol and cold water on her repeatedly. The compliant states he also choked her and hit her with a belt.
McNeil also allegedly used a wet dish towel to whip the victim and put it over her mouth. The woman eventually ran to a neighbor for help, and McNeil fled the scene before police arrived.
The incident happened just before Minnesota was headed to New York City to play in the preseason NIT. He did not travel with the team to the event.
He was immediately suspended from the Gophers basketball program and not eligible to participate in any team activities. McNeil was dismissed from the program after he didn't enroll for spring semester classes at Minnesota.
