Murray State Football Player Charged with Robbery

A Tennessee man who was a player for Murray State University's football team was arrested Saturday on robbery charges in Murray, following an incident on Friday night. 

According to the Murray Police Department, their investigation began when they got a call Friday night about 11:40 pm. The victims said they were returning to their vehicle at an apartment complex on North 16th Street when a man confronted them. They said the man pulled out a revolver and demanded they empty their pockets. The victims said the suspect did not take their wallets or belongings, only cash.

Discussions with the victims led police to believe their suspect was 19-year-old Mareio McGraw of Pulaski, Tennessee. They obtained an arrest warrant from Calloway District Court for three counts of robbery 1st degree, and arrested McGraw without incident on Saturday. He was taken to Calloway County Jail.

McGraw was a sophomore running back for the Murray State Racers, and after the arrest, the athletic department issued a statement saying he is no longer on the team, citing athletic department policy and team rules.

The statement reads:

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and the legal process will take its course as it relates to this alleged incident," said Director of Athletics Allen Ward.  "However, based on the information we have been provided, we believe the matter warrants dismissing Mareio from the team for violating both department policy and team rules." 

"As with all discipline and legal matters, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and evaluate additional information as it becomes available from local law enforcement who are handling the investigation," stated Ward.

Murray State University and the Department of Athletics will have no further comment on this matter at this time.