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Ex-Kent State DB Nate Holley found not guilty on kidnapping, assault charges
Former Kent State safety Nate Holley was found not guilty on multiple charges Thursday, including kidnapping.
Holley, who was on his way to leading the MAC in tackles for a third straight season when he was arrested and suspended indefinitely in November, was acquitted on charges of felonious assault and kidnapping after a two-and-a-half-day trial. A 12-person jury deliberated for “about an hour” before reaching a verdict.
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Holley, a senior for the Golden Flashes in 2016, was accused of “taking his then-girlfriend on a car ride against her will and assaulting her when she tried to get out of the car,” according to the Record-Courier.
According to the Kent Stater, Kent State’s student newspaper, Holley testified Wednesday that the woman hit her head after he tried to grab her when she attempted to exit his moving vehicle:
Holley said Tackett wanted to go back to her apartment and she then tried to get out of the moving car, so Holley reached across and grabbed her, which led to her hitting her head off both side windows. He said Tackett also tried to grab the steering wheel and stomp on the gas pedal. He also grabbed her keys and phone, knowing that she would not want to leave the car without those.
The pair eventually made it back to Holley’s apartment, where he said that Tackett started to walk away from him so he got her in a bear hug and started walking to his apartment with her, where she then slapped him. Holley said he gave her some ice and they stayed in his apartment for about 10 minutes before he took her back to her apartment.
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Per the Kent Stater, Holley still faces three additional charges: “third-degree intimidation, third-degree intimidation of a crime victim or witness and a fourth-degree charge of menacing by stalking.” He is slated to return to court on those charges in April.
At the time of his arrest, Holley led the MAC with 111 tackles in nine games. He also topped all MAC performers with with 139 tackles in 2015 and 136 tackles in 2014.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
