Miami Dolphins legend Mark Duper faces a felony child abuse charge after he was accused of beating up a minor, a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrest report said.
According to the arrest report, on Tuesday night the victim, who authorities did not identify, was playing video games. At some point an argument began about an ex-girlfriend, the report said.
During the verbal argument, Duper, 54, punched the person in the face once because "he wouldn't listen to him about picking up his hat," the report said.
After he punched the person, Duper grabbed him, picked him up several times and slammed him into the ground, making him lose consciousness for a while, the report said. After about 10 minutes of them fighting, Duper left the home but then went back to get a jacket, according to the report.
The two then began fighting again.
"This time both parties grabbed each in a fighting mode," the report said.
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The wide receiver then threw the person on a bed, and at some point a friend of Duper's stepped in and realized the victim had lost consciousness once again, according to the report.
The friend, former Dolphins teammate Hugh Green, told NBC 6 South Florida that he never saw the person lose consciousness, however.
When the person regained consciousness, according to police, he was angry that he had been attacked and pushed his bike into Duper's car.
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Duper then punched him in the face again, causing him to fall off his bike. When the person fell on the ground, Duper climbed on top of him, grabbed him by the neck and began choking him, the report said.
The person yelled for Duper's friend to help him, which he did. At some point Duper said he would kill him. That's when the person left the home.
Authorities saw that the person had a swollen, cut bottom lip, multiple scratches on his left elbow, a knot next to his left temple, a cut on his right bicep and an abrasion on the right ear lobe, the report said.
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The Department of Children and Families was notified of the injuries. Duper, who was arrested Wednesday and is out on bond, told authorities that there was a fight, but all he did was either defend himself or restrain the person.
Duper declined to comment Thursday, but directed NBC 6 to speak with his close friend Green about the incident. Green said that it was the other person who became aggressive after being confronted about sending a threatening text message to a girl.
Green said that Duper was defending himself.
"There was never any exchange of punches," said Green, who added that he tried to break up the altercation multiple times.
Duper played 11 seasons with the Dolphins from 1982-1992, earning a spot on the team’s honor roll.
