Texas Basketball Player Arterio Morris Charged with Misdemeanor Assault After Arrest
July 15, 2022
Frisco, Texas police arrested and charged Texas men's basketball commit and 5-star guard Arterio Morris on June 2 with a Class A misdemeanor for assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
Per an arrest affidavit obtained by Brian Davis of the Austin-American Statesman, who reported the details Friday, Frisco police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance stemming from allegations that Morris had a physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend, Caden Barnes.
Davis provided more details from the affidavit.
"Morris told officers that he lived nearby and drove to Caden Barnes’ residence to have a face-to-face conversation as opposed to text messaging. Barnes' sister let Morris into the townhome. He then went upstairs to speak with Barnes, who was sleeping at the time, police said.
"Barnes told police that Morris 'grabbed her by the left forearm/wrist and pulled her up off the bed,' according to the affidavit. Barnes was wearing a sports bra at the time. Morris grabbed at Barnes’ sports bra near her chest and pulled, causing the strap to make what police described was a 3-inch-long abrasion on her neck."
Per the affidavit, Morris initially told authorities that there was no physical contact but he "altered his initial statement" to police when told of Barnes' allegations. Afterward, Morris was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which can lead to a maximum one-year jail term and a $4,000 fine.
Morris reportedly posted a $3,500 bond and was released from Denton County Jail the following day.
Barnes told her side of the story on social media, as noted by Austin Massey of 247Sports and CBS Sports as well as Nick Moyle of the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle. She also claimed that family and high school coaches pressured her to drop charges.
Austin Massey @austinmassey247Arterio Morris, a 5-star recruit and Texas signee, has been accused of physical abuse by his ex-gf. <br><br>According to her post, Morris was previously arrested for a physical dispute with her and his family/HS coaches pressured her to drop the charges due to Morris’ “NBA aspirations” <a href="https://t.co/03LBIwHBDu">pic.twitter.com/03LBIwHBDu</a>
Nick Moyle @NRMoyleA woman has accused UT freshman Arterio Morris of physically assaulting and abusing her. She got a protective order against Morris + posted a photo of the order and several videos/pics to her IG account. It's disturbing. Reached out to UT for comment but still awaiting more info <a href="https://t.co/AvWRkeKG7Q">pic.twitter.com/AvWRkeKG7Q</a>
Morris' attorney, Justin Moore, provided a statement to the American-Statesman:
“It's disturbing that this case is being tried on social media without any regard for the facts. We look forward to dispelling all rumors and defending any allegation against Arterio in a court of law. The right to due process is an important function in American society, and we applaud the University of Texas for not rushing to judgement before Arterio has had the ability to fully defend himself."
The university made a statement as well to the American-Statesman:
"We were made aware of the allegations involving Arterio Morris and provided all information we had regarding this situation that occurred outside of the city of Austin to our campus Title IX office. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and cooperate with the University and legal process, which remains ongoing."
Morris, a McDonald's All-American, is ranked 16th on 247Sports' composite rankings. He played high school ball at Kimball High School in Dallas.