Idaho State assistant football coach DaVonte’ Neal charged with murder

Idaho State assistant football coach DaVonte’ Neal has been arrested on suspicion of killing a man in Arizona and the school intends to terminate his contract.

Neal has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of drive-by-shooting, and one count of discharging a firearm at a structure in the 2017 death of Bryan T Burns. The indictment contains no details of what circumstances led to the shooting.

Neal was indicted by a grand jury in Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix metropolitan area, on 16 May, and a warrant for his arrest was issued shortly after.

The Maricopa County sheriff’s office investigated the shooting, but spokesperson Kahri Harrion said the agency was unable to release information on the case. The shooting happened in a busy commercial area along Interstate 10 about eight miles (13km) south of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Neal, who played college football at the University of Arizona, is being held without bail at the Bannock County Jail in the eastern Idaho city awaiting extradition to Arizona.

He joined the Idaho team as cornerbacks coach in January – with the rest of the Bengals’ new coaching staff – and was arrested outside his apartment on 25 May by Pocatello police. He did not resist, the Idaho State Journal reported.

Idaho State University said it had placed Neal on administrative leave and had initiated proceedings to terminate his contract.

“I have been in constant contact with (ISU head coach Charlie Ragle) who has known DaVonte’ for many years and never had any knowledge or suspicion of a possible crime of any kind,” Athletic Director Pauline Thiros told the newspaper. “The news of DaVonte’ Neal’s arrest and charges in Arizona was a great shock. Going