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Hornets to hold out Jeff Taylor during domestic assault investigation

EAST LANSING, MI — The Charlotte Hornets have removed Jeff Taylor from team activities while police investigate allegations of domestic assault.

Taylor is the latest local professional athlete to find himself in trouble with the law.

The Hornets released a statement Friday saying:

"We have informed Jeffery Taylor that effective immediately he will not be participating in any team-related activities while the NBA is investigating his conduct in this matter. As an organization, we understand and appreciate the seriousness of this matter, and will assist the NBA and law enforcement in any way we can until this comes to an acceptable resolution.  We have spoken with Jeffery and his representatives and they fully understand our position."

The NBA later released the following statement:

"We support the Charlotte Hornets' decision to separate Jeffery Taylor from the team during the investigation."

The police report from East Lansing, Michigan, provides some new information surrounding the arrest of Taylor.

The report identifies the woman Taylor is accused of assaulting as Kirsten Evans.  

Evans is described as someone who had a dating relationship with Taylor.  
        
A second victim is also named. The report said a man named Daniel Carncross was also assaulted.

Police: Charlotte Hornets player arrested in domestic assault

He is listed as an employee of the Marriott Hotel in East Lansing where the alleged assault occurred Thursday morning.

The report doesn't describe what happened, but said Taylor caused between $200 and $1,000 damage to the hotel.  

Taylor's arrest comes just days before he's supposed to start training camp with the Hornets and in the middle of a national debate over domestic violence among professional football players, including the Panthers' Greg Hardy.
       
Fans told Channel 9 it's getting old.

“There's kind of been a lot of domestic violence going on in both the NFL and the NBA. So I’m not really surprised, still disappointed, but I'm not really surprised,” said Charlotte resident Caleb Foster.

The Hornets said they are taking this seriously, but they haven't made any comments Friday about Taylor's status with the team.

He has a court date in Michigan on Oct, 8.
        
A free training event to raise awareness about how to handle domestic violence cases was held in Charlotte Friday.

At least 65 people showed up, mostly from domestic violence victim advocacy groups.

Mecklenburg County's lead domestic violence court judge told Channel 9 she's seen a rise in the number of cases, partly because of increased awareness about the issue.

“It could be attempting to injure someone, threatening to injure someone, putting them in fear of serious bodily injury. Domestic violence is not just a hit, kick or push,” District Court Judge Ty Hands said.

The Domestic Violence Advocacy Council organized Friday's event, mainly for law enforcement, but organizers said not many officers attended.

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