A Texas Departmentโ of Public Safety trooper was โrelieved of duty during Saturday’s โคcollege football game โคbetween Texas A&M and South Carolina following โan on-field โฃincident with a โขSouth Carolina player. The trooper’s removal comes as the department’s Office ofโ Inspector General โlaunches a review of the encounter, which was captured on video and widely circulated on social media.
Theโ incident โoccurredโค after South Carolina wideโ receiver Nyck Harbor scored an 80-yard touchdown in the second โquarter. As Harbor, accompanied by teammates,โฃ returned to the field through a tunnel, โa trooper positioned himself in their path, making contact with Harbor and another player. Video footage shows theโ trooper then turning and gesturing toward Harbor before being intervened by a teammate. โThe situation raises questionsโ aboutโฃ appropriate conduct by law enforcement personnel during โlarge public events and the potential for escalation in interactions โwith athletes.
According to โขa statement released by the DPS, the trooper was sent โhome from theโ game in College โStation.โค “Our Office of Inspectorโฃ Generalโค (OIG) isโข also awareโข ofโค the incident and will be further looking into the matter. No additional information willโ be released โคat this time,” the statement read.
The video of theโ encounterโ quickly gained โขtraction online, prompting reactionsโ fromโ prominent figures, including NBA star LeBron James. The OIGโ inquiryโค will aimโ to determine whether the trooper’s actions โฃviolated department policy or โขstateโ law. The outcomeโฃ of the investigation โcould lead to disciplinary action against the trooper.