Courtroom Verdict
A Rhode Island judge has cleared former Providence University basketball standout Duncan Powell of two misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged March incident.
The bench trial, which lasted three days in Providence District Court, centered on accusations that Powell threw a water bottle at a woman, causing a knee injury, and then threatened to use a firearm to kill everyone in her home before turning the weapon on himself.
According to police reports, the woman claimed Powell tracked her to a residence in nearby Cranston, made multiple phone calls, and issued threats that prompted a March 29 arrest. Officers who responded found no weapon, and the prosecution’s case relied largely on the alleged victim’s testimony.
Powell, a native of Dallas who completed his fifth year of eligibility last season, has not commented publicly on the verdict. His legal team argued that the allegations were exaggerated and that the evidence did not meet the burden of proof for the charged offenses.
The acquittal comes amid heightened scrutiny of domestic‑violence allegations in college sports, and it may influence future investigations and legal strategies involving athletes accused of similar conduct.