Update on Oct. 23, 2026: A statement has been provided by the university’s athletics department regarding the investigation. It has been added to the article.
Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – An Arkansas State University football player was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police said he assaulted a woman on campus over a social media interaction.
Hunter Joseph Summers, 21, was taken into custody by the Arkansas State University Police Department on suspicion of third-degree domestic battering, a class A misdemeanor.
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According to an incident report, university police officers responded to a disturbance at Northpark Quads Building 2 shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 21.
The victim reported that an argument began after Summers began enraged that she had reacted with a “fire” emoji to a social media post made by one of his former teammates. The police report said that Summers shouted slurs at the victim and repeatedly slammed her phone on the ground, cracking the device.
The victim told police the situation escalated when Summers grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against a wall onto a picture frame, which left red injury marks on her back. The report said that Summers also bent her glasses in an attempt to break them, as well as threatened to break her school laptop and punch out a window.
A witness in a nearby room corroborated the incident, saying that they heard yelling, the sound of something falling, and the victim telling Summers to get out.
When questioned by university police at the Football Operations Center, Summers admitted to arguing with the victim and slamming her phone, but he denied putting his hands on her.
Officers arrested Summers and transported him to the Craighead County Detention Center, where he is currently being held on a $2,500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in district court on Nov. 24.
The Arkansas State Athletics website says Summers has been a wide receiver for the football team since 2024.
JRN has reached out to the university’s athletic department on Summers’s roster status. They provided the following statement:
“The Arkansas State Athletics Department is aware of a recent matter involving one of our student-athletes. The Athletics Department is following all Arkansas State University policies, guidelines and procedures, including legal and Title IX processes. We are unable to provide any further information or comment at this time.”
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