Cyrus the Virus

[Snaggletiger]

Domestic violence charges against the Alabama CB were dropped today, according to Tuscaloosa police: "Although sufficient probable cause existed for both offenses, the dismissal is based on the fact that Mr. Jones in fact attempted to deescalate the situation by contacting the Tuscaloosa Police Department."

So, they felt like they had overused the "She started the whole thing and playa was just trying to protect himself" excuse?

[DnATL]

So, they felt like they had overused the "She started the whole thing and playa was just trying to protect himself" excuse?

The phone probably deserved it

[The Six]

http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2015/05/charges_dropped_lesson_learned.html

Charges dropped, lessons learned for Cyrus Jones, Alabama and us

Before you can start the healing, you have to stop the bleeding. Or, even better, prevent any bleeding or bruising from happening in the first place.

Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones apparently made some mistakes in that situation Tuesday with a female acquaintance, but according to Friday's statement from the Tuscaloosa Police Department, he did one thing that should be a lesson to anyone who finds himself or herself in an argument.

As the statement said, "He attempted to deescalate the situation."

How did he do that? By calling the police himself.

That call contributed to him getting arrested Tuesday. It also contributed to the Office of the City Attorney dropping the two third-degree misdemeanor domestic violence charges against him Friday.

The Tuscaloosa Police statement said that "sufficient probable cause existed for both offenses" because Jones allegedly damaged the woman's cell phone and threatened to assault her, but that the police recommended the charges be dropped because Jones called them and "attempted to deescalate the situation."

"Domestic Violence is a serious problem in communities across the United States, and there are very strict guidelines that officers are required to follow when enforcing domestic violence laws," the police statement said. "These guidelines often give the officers little to no discretion and require them to make decisions quickly to resolve the cases."

It sounds like Jones did the right thing by making that call. It sounds like the Tuscaloosa police also did the right thing - the only thing possible under the original circumstances - by making the arrest and later recommending that the charges be dropped.

As Alabama coach Nick Saban said in his statement after the incident, "We don't ever condone any behavior that shows any kind of disrespect. There was no physical contact in this situation. Once we get the facts, we will take the necessary steps to correct this behavior in the future."

Give Saban credit for taking the right approach, too.

The positive outcome of this situation doesn't erase the four previous arrests of Alabama football players in four separate situations this calendar year. It doesn't make up for two of those players, Jonathan Taylor and Tyren Jones, getting dismissed from the team.

It doesn't completely excuse the fact that Jones himself did enough to get arrested in the first place, but this outcome can be a teachable moment for him, his teammates, the entire program and anyone else observing from the outside.

Of course, it's better to avoid serious disagreements in the first place, but if you've figured out how to live a conflict-free life, please share that secret with the rest of us.

If you're human and you occasionally find yourself in a dispute with someone you care about, the right thing to do isn't to break something or threaten someone. Do whatever you can to pull the plug, douse the fuse, deescalate the situation.

Don't become another Floyd Mayweather or Ray Rice.

Ultimately, thankfully for him and his acquaintance, Jones didn't go the distance down that dark road. And hopefully, this will be the last brush with the law for the Alabama football program this year.