Utah suspends defensive tackle Jamal Wallace indefinitely after intimate-image arrest
The university says it suspended Wallace on October 11, the day he was arrested. Separate sexual-assault allegations remain uncharged and are disputed.
The University of Utah suspended defensive tackle Jamal Wallace indefinitely from its football program on October 11 after learning of his arrest that day in Salt Lake County on an alleged intimate-image distribution offense, an athletics spokesperson said. The suspension removes Wallace from the team while the legal matter is pending.
Wallace was arrested and booked on a Class A misdemeanor allegation of distributing an intimate image, according to the Salt Lake County jail docket cited by USA TODAY Sports. He was released on October 12 on pretrial bond, USA TODAY Sports reported, citing the Salt Lake Tribune. The reports distinguish that allegation from a separate sexual-assault allegation; no sexual-assault charge had been reported as of October 21.
What Utah said about Wallace’s suspension
“We were made aware of the situation with Jamal Wallace on Oct. 11, and he was immediately placed on an indefinite suspension from the program,” a Utah athletics spokesperson said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “We take these matters seriously. As this is a pending legal matter we have no further comment at this time.” The university did not give an end date for the suspension.
The Deseret News also reported the university’s statement. Utah’s account places its decision on the day of Wallace’s arrest, although the statement does not specify when that day the suspension took effect. The university has given no further public explanation of the disciplinary decision in the statement reported by either outlet.
Allegation and denial in the arrest account
A woman told police Wallace had sexually assaulted her and recorded or shared intimate videos without her knowledge, according to a probable-cause affidavit described by the Deseret News. USA TODAY Sports reported, citing the Salt Lake Tribune, that the woman also alleged videos were shared through her Snapchat account. Those are allegations in the police account, separate from the misdemeanor matter for which Wallace was arrested.
Wallace denied sexually assaulting the woman during a police interview, according to the affidavit as reported by both outlets. The Deseret News also reported that he denied distributing the intimate images. USA TODAY Sports said, citing the Tribune, that Wallace told police he accessed the woman’s Snapchat account to see whom she had been communicating with. The outlets reported no sexual-assault charge against him as of October 21.
Wallace’s role with the Utah Utes
Wallace transferred to Utah from Tennessee in January, according to the Deseret News. A backup defensive tackle, he appeared sparingly in Utah’s first game of the season and had not played since, the outlet reported. USA TODAY Sports likewise listed one appearance for him this season. His indefinite suspension leaves his return to the football program unresolved while the legal matter remains pending.
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Sources and context
- Utah DL 'suspended indefinitely' after arrest on charges of distributing intimate imagesUSA TODAY Sports (John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Network); carried by Yahoo Sports
- Utah DT Jamal Wallace suspended indefinitely for alleged ‘distribution of an intimate image’Deseret News (Joe Coles)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.