COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina quarterback recruit Stephen Garcia was taken off suspension Thursday, just days after being barred from participating in team activities because he was arrested outside a bar near campus.<br>
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``After reviewing Stephen's situation, it has been decided that he will be able to participate in all team activities, including running and weightlifting, beginning immediately,'' Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said in a statement released by the university.<br>
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Spurrier had suspended Garcia on Monday.<br>
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Garcia, 19, was arrested early Saturday morning in a restaurant and nightclub district near the university and charged with drunkenness and failure to stop for a police officer.<br>
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A telephone message left Thursday evening for Garcia's attorney was not immediately returned.<br>
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An officer responding to an altercation said Garcia ran away from him and tried to hide in an alley, then turned toward the officer ``in a threatening manner,'' according to an incident report.<br>
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Unless Garcia requests a jury trial, the arresting officer will act as the prosecutor and a police spokeswoman said the officer would not be available for comment. Garcia's next court date is scheduled for March 7, said Lauren Leach, spokeswoman for the Columbia Police Department.<br>
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Garcia had been at a private party at a club when the incident occurred, according to the police report. He was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond Saturday evening.<br>
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The highly touted recruit out of Jefferson High in Tampa, Fla., enrolled at South Carolina last month.<br>
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Last year, South Carolina's starting quarterback Blake Mitchell also was charged in an incident in the same area near the campus. He was accused of punching a bouncer an assault charge that was later dropped and spent a few hours in jail.
