A former Miami Hurricanes wide receiver was booked Thursday on felony charges after deputies said a woman accused him of striking her with a handgun and taking her phone during an argument inside a vehicle.
Mark Pope, 27, of southwest Miami-Dade, was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, jail records show. He faces one count of armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon and one count of aggravated battery.
Pope appeared Friday morning before Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer. The judge ordered him held without bond. Court records indicate that if he is later released, he would be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
An arrest report states that Pope and the woman knew each other from the neighborhood and had recently reconnected through social media. They met at a park in Miami-Dade County and sat in her vehicle when a personal dispute grew heated.
During the confrontation, investigators allege Pope pulled out a handgun. The report states he “struck the woman in the face with it and forcibly removed her cellular phone from her hand.”
The woman left the vehicle and ran to a nearby gas station, where she called 911, according to deputies. Officers located Pope a short time later. After his arrest, the woman identified him from a photograph.
Deputies said Pope made a statement that was redacted from the publicly released arrest report. Additional details of the alleged incident have not been released by the sheriff’s office.
Pope played football at Miami from 2018 to 2021 after starring at Miami Southridge High School. He appeared in 34 games for the Hurricanes and finished with 52 receptions for 680 yards and four touchdowns.
As a freshman in 2018 he recorded 11 receiving yards. In 2019 he caught 18 passes for 266 yards. During the 2020 season he started multiple games and posted 33 receptions for 403 yards.
He later transferred to Jackson State and then the University of Massachusetts. In 2024 he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The team released him in 2025.
The arrest comes as the current Miami Hurricanes sit 3-0 and ranked No. 6 nationally in Week 3 of the 2026 season. Pope has not been affiliated with the program for several years.
Armed robbery with a firearm is a first-degree felony under Florida law and can carry a lengthy prison sentence if a defendant is convicted. Aggravated battery is also a felony. Pope has not entered a plea in open court beyond the initial appearance.
Prosecutors have not publicly outlined their next steps. Jail records list the two counts and the no-bond hold as of Friday.
Pope grew up in the Miami area and was a consensus four-star recruit when he signed with the Hurricanes in 2018. His college production peaked in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before he left the program.
Local news outlets first reported the booking Thursday night and Friday morning based on jail records and the arrest affidavit. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has not issued a separate news release with further comment.
No trial date has been set. Court documents show Pope remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight facility.
