Former UF running back arrested on robbery and aggravated assault charges

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Mark Anthony Thompson, 27, was arrested yesterday on two charges of aggravated assault and a charge of robbery by sudden snatching.

Thompson is a former Gators running back who played in the 2016 and 2017 seasons after playing his first two years at Dodge City Community College in Kansas. He went to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Since then, he has played on practice squads for the Ravens, Lions, Raiders, and Panthers.

According to the sworn complaint that resulted in a warrant for Thompson’s arrest, Thompson allegedly followed the car of two women after a “road rage type incident” at about 1:00 p.m. on November 21. The women reported that he followed their car from the 600 block of W. University Avenue to a parking lot on SW 4th Avenue, where he pulled in behind their car. Thompson then allegedly got out of his car and approached the driver’s side door of the women’s car. The driver opened her door and began recording the interaction with her cell phone.

After a brief exchange of words, Thompson allegedly grabbed the driver by her arms and pulled her out of her car. He also allegedly grabbed her cell phone and threw it, keeping her from calling 911. While this was going on, the passenger got out of the car and stood behind it. Thompson then walked back to the rear driver’s side door of his car and allegedly took out an “AR15 style rifle” that was lying on the back seat of his car. When he did that, he allegedly looked at both women and said, “I should shoot you.”

The report says that an officer spoke with Thompson over the phone, and Thompson reportedly admitted to being involved in an incident with the driver at that location. He also reportedly confirmed that there was a rifle in the back seat of his car, although he denied grabbing it or showing it to anyone. He said the door of the car was open, so the women would have been able to see the rifle.

Based on this information, a warrant for Thompson’s arrest was issued on November 22, with the bail set at $175,000. Attorney Dean Galigani notified the court on November 29 that he was representing Thompson, and he filed a motion to reduce the bond amount on the grounds that Thompson has no prior felony offenses (“Defendant’s criminal record consists of two prior possession of drug paraphernalia charges”), he lives in Gainesville (“Defendant is a professional football player and now trains in Gainesville”), he has substantial ties to the community (some volunteer work is listed, although no time frame is given), and he has a five-year-old daughter. A December 6 hearing on that motion resulted in no action; Judge William A. Davis reduced the bond to $45,000 ($15,000 on each charge) at a hearing on December 13. Thompson was released on December 13 with standard conditions of no contact with the victims and no possession of firearms or weapons.

Thompson also has a pending misdemeanor battery charge with a sworn complaint dated October 28. That complaint has not been uploaded to the public court records, but a criminal summons was issued on December 9 in that case.