A former Ohio State University running back and team captain has appeared for the first time in a Franklin County courtroom, accused of repeatedly punching a man he knew in a gas station parking lot.
Jordan Hall, 34, appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court on Sept. 22 after being charged with felonious assault in connection with the Sept. 20 incident.
County Municipal Court Judge Zach Gwin set Hall’s bond at $175,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the victim or the victim’s family.
According to court records, Hall and two others were in a Chevy Blazer that, around 1 a.m., pulled into the Speedway gas station parking at 744 W. 5th Ave. Video from the gas station showed Hall and one of the people getting out of the SUV and entering the gas station’s convenience store, records say.
When Hall and the other person returned to the SUV, Hall is seen on video getting out of the front passenger seat, opening the back passenger door, and pulling the man in that seat out of the vehicle, according to court records.
Court records say the video shows Hall punching that man in the face with a fist and then getting back into the SUV, which begins to pull away. The video then shows the SUV stopping, Hall getting back out of it and punching the man several more times, according to court records.
The man, who has not been identified, fell backwards after the second punch and hit his head on the ground, court records say. He was taken to Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.
During the Sept. 22 court hearing, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Scott Gaugler called the situation a “homicide in waiting” given the severity of the victim’s injuries.
Gaugler said Hall and the victim knew each other, describing them as acquaintances. The other man in the SUV is not facing any criminal charges at this time, court records show.
The Franklin County Public Defender’s office represented Hall during the hearing. An assistant public defender said Hall works as a project manager for a construction company.
A grand jury will review the case for potential indictment in the coming days.
Hall was a running back for Ohio State between 2009 and 2013 and was one of the team’s captains in the 2012 season. He is the last player from Ohio State to return a kick for a touchdown in a game.
After his Ohio State career, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was cut by the team before the start of the 2014 season.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com. Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached atĀ bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jordan Hall, former Ohio State football player, appears in court
