University of Miami

University of Miami Running Back Mark Walton Arrested, Suspended From Team

Walton led Miami with nine rushing touchdowns and 10 total touchdowns as a true freshman last season

The University of Miami has suspended running back Mark Walton indefinitely after police said he was arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence.

According to the arrest report, Walton was pulled over after being seen by two officers in the area of southwest 27th Terrace in Miami.

Officer Kenia Fallat, a Miami police spokeswoman, tells The Associated Press that Walton may face other charges. Walton was going through the booking process Saturday and it was unclear when he would make his initial court appearance or if he retained an attorney.

Meanwhile, the DUI citation could be only part of Walton's legal issues going forward. A person familiar with the situation told the AP that Walton is also under investigation for impersonating a law enforcement officer. That person spoke on anonymity because the probe is ongoing.

"We are aware of the situation regarding Mark Walton and we have taken immediate action by suspending him from the team," said University of Miami Athletics Director Blake James. "We have no further comment at the time."

“Whether he gets kicked off the team, I think that may be a little extreme but I think he should definitely be suspended,” said a student at the University of Miami.

Walton led Miami with nine rushing touchdowns and 10 total touchdowns as a true freshman last season, plus topped the Hurricanes with 300 kickoff return yards. He had a key role in Miami's most memorable play of 2015, the eight-lateral kickoff return as time expired for the game-winning touchdown at Duke.

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His arrest comes one week after Miami's spring game, after which Hurricanes coach Mark Richt urged his players to help each other stay out of trouble and avoid negative headlines.

Walton is a Miami native who earned at four-star rating coming out of Booker T. Washington High. He finished his high school career with 45 touchdowns and chose the Hurricanes over offers from Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and South Carolina, among others.

No further details are available at this time. Check back with NBC6 for updates on this developing story.

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