TCU's Fields investigated for alleged assault

TCU suspended defensive end Devonte Fields on Tuesday pending the results of a police investigation into whether he punched a former girlfriend in the head and threatened her with a gun while shouting, ''I should blast you!''

Officers said 20-year-old Haley Brown's right cheek was swollen and she had a cut under her eye when they arrived at a Fort Worth home early Sunday. Police said Tuesday that no charges had been filed and Fields, the Big 12's preseason defensive player of the year, had not been arrested.

An emailed statement from TCU said the school doesn't tolerate harassment or misconduct by a student and that the allegations against Fields will be go through an internal discipline process - which may result in disciplinary action from the university - while he is ''separated'' from the university.

The school said ''separated'' means he will be denied access to the school and its activities until police complete their investigation. That includes being barred from any involvement with the football team less than two weeks before the start of fall practice.

''Whether it be a football player or any other student on this campus, if anything like this happened and they were investigating it, they would do the same thing, which basically that means you're not allowed on campus,'' TCU coach Gary Patterson said Tuesday after his annual preseason talk with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

''Obviously, it's disappointing to me that we'd be in that situation,'' Patterson said. ''Nothing I can do, just make sure that I let justice do its course.''

Brown, who declined to be taken to a hospital for medical treatment, told police she and Fields dated for two years and broke up June 1. Brown said she didn't want to press charges but officers told her a report and family violence packet must be completed.

Brown told officers that Fields used his hands to punch out a window in the house and started yelling at her. She said she thought Fields pointed a handgun at her before shouting, ''I should blast you!''

Fields was then let inside the house by someone in the home, where he continued to yell at Brown. Fields then allegedly punched Brown once in the face with a closed fist, according to a police summary of the incident that was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Fields had four tackles without a sack while playing only three games last season. He missed the season opener and parts of two other games for an unspecified violation of university and team rules before a season-ending foot injury that required surgery.