Sean Rossman

Democrat staff writer

The Tallahassee Police Department on Wednesday released hundreds of police reports related to Florida State University athletes in response to an ESPN public records request.

The request came after TPD and FSU were the subject of major investigative stories by the New York Times earlier this year. The Times articles focused mostly on how the agency and the department handle police run ins involving FSU players, including quarterback Jameis Winston.

Paula Lavigne, an ESPN reporter for the show "Outside the Lines," in September requested police records for the names of 360 FSU athletes, which produced 300 police reports TPD handed over to ESPN on Wednesday. The records include reports in which the names of athletes were listed as either a witness, victim, suspect or reporting party, according to TPD spokesman David Northway.

TPD alerted local media to the request Wednesday afternoon.

Northway said a misstep was noted while sifting through the records.

One sexual assault case involving an FSU football player had a piece of evidence that was not immediately processed. The piece of evidence ultimately had no impact on the case, Northway said. The case was subsequently reclosed. No charges were filed after TPD consulted with the State Attorney's Office.

Another case that came up in the report involved an aggravated assault in which two men were alleged to have brandished a handgun at a neighbor on July 17. Running back Dalvin Cook is listed as an associate in the case, which is still under investigation.

"We are committed to ensuring that every citizen of this community, including our university students, know that we take every report of possible activity seriously," said TPD Chief Michael DeLeo.