Ex-Hurricanes WR Mark Pope accused of pistol-whipping woman during alleged armed robbery

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Former Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Mark Pope was arrested after a woman told investigators that he pistol-whipped her and then snatched her cellphone during a confrontation inside her vehicle, according to an arrest report.

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Deputies said Pope, 27, of southwest Miami-Dade, was taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.

According to the report, Pope and the woman knew each other through their neighborhood and had recently reconnected through social media. The report states that the two agreed to meet Thursday for “personal reasons” in the county’s Goulds area.

The woman told investigators that Pope entered her vehicle after she arrived at the meeting location, where they began to argue, according to the report.

During the dispute, Pope allegedly pulled out a gun, “struck the woman in the face with it and forcibly removed her cellular phone from her hand,” the report states.

The woman then got out of the vehicle and fled to a nearby gas station, where she called 911, according to investigators.

Deputies said shortly after taking Pope into custody, the woman identified him though a photo.

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They said Pope made a confession that was redacted in his publicly released arrest report.

Jail records show he is facing one count of armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon and one count of aggravated battery.

Pope is a Hialeah native who played wide receiver at UM from 2018 through 2021. During his Hurricanes career, he appeared in 34 games and recorded 52 receptions for 680 yards and four touchdowns.

After going undrafted in 2024, Pope signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in December of that year. He later moved on from the team and continued his career overseas, including a stint with the European League of Football’s Rhein Fire.

Pope appeared in bond court Friday before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer. Glazer ordered him to be held without bond and said he would be required to wear a GPS monitor if eventually released from jail.

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