The Gainesville Police have filed a sworn complaint against Florida receiver Chris Thompson for simple battery/dating violence for an incident that took place April 1, the Gainesville Sun reported Thursday.

Thompson, listed at 6-foot and 167 pounds, hasn’t participated in recent practices, and now we have a good idea why.

The Gators hoped Thompson become part of the rotation at receiver after contributing mostly as a special teams player his first two seasons. Earlier Thursday, ESPN even named Thompson in a post headlined “Five things to watch in Florida’s spring game.”

According to the Gainesville Sun, Thompson and the alleged victim were in an “intimate dating relationship” that ended about four months ago. The argument started because of a text Thompson received from another female, according to the Gainesville Police Department report.

“While attempting to retrieve his phone from the alleged victim, Thompson scratched and bruised her arm and scratched her neck, leaving lacerations, according to the complaint,” the Gainesville Sun wrote.

The Gainesville PD forwarded the complaint to the State Attorney’s Office, which will investigate and decide whether to charge Thompson with a crime.

This is the first legal incident involving a player since the Gators hired coach Jim McElwain. As of Thursday afternoon, Florida hasn’t addressed the news publicly, though it seems likely the team is aware of the pending investigation.

Violence against women is a hot-button issue both in football and in the SEC specifically right now, as it should be. It’s a serious matter. As such, there’s little chance Thompson escapes punishment from Florida if he’s charged. But we’ll have to allow this situation to play out before we know how this may affect the Gators on the field.

Update: Jim McElwain was asked about Thompson’s status during Thursday’s press conference.