Washington State players are 'persons of interest' in assault case
A weekend brawl left two Washington State students with serious injuries.
According to The Spokesman-Review, Pullman police are looking into six Washington State football players as “persons of interest” in the case, which also resulted in minor injuries for others. Police have already “confirmed WSU players were present at the party,” The Spokesman-Review reported, but is in the early stages of what could be a long-lasting investigation.
One student, 21-year-old Alex Rodriguez, suffered a broken jaw. Another was left unconscious in the incident, which was partially captured by cell phone video. Witnesses reportedly provided a list of individuals, including football players, they believed were responsible.
The trouble began early Saturday morning, when witnesses claim a group began throwing firecrackers or fireworks at attendees of a student party in Pullman. The group was asked to leave, at which point a verbal altercation escalated into a physical one.
Cellphone video of the fight, taken by a partygoer, shows a number of people involved, many of whom do not appear to be athletes.
“We’re looking at this as a very serious felony assault level based on the injuries to two victims,” Pullman police commander Chris Tennant said. “I would like to make arrests later in the week. I don’t know if that’s a realistic timeline. I expect this to be a lengthy investigation. A lot of people have to be interviewed.”
Names of the players possibly involved were not revealed. Tennant told the Seattle Times that “more than five or six” WSU players are being looked into.
“Right now it’s more than five or six (players), but not much more that we’re looking at who are actively involved,” Tennant said Monday afternoon. “I think it’s a little premature to call anybody a suspect, but we can confirm after talking to people, even players, that WSU football players were at this party. We have a list of names provided to us by witnesses and victims, and sometimes even players themselves. Some WSU football players are persons of interest and we’re working with the WSU athletic department and the football department.”
The Washington State athletic department is aware of the circumstances, athletic director Bill Moos said.
“In regards to the events that took place over the past weekend, the university was made aware of the situation shortly after the incident occurred. It is our understanding there is a thorough investigation underway by local law enforcement and we will cooperate fully as we take these matters seriously,” Moos said in a statement.
“In addition, facts are being gathered within the athletic department in order to provide assistance. We have high expectations for the conduct of WSU student-athletes, and treat any alleged allegations with the utmost transparency. The WSU athletic staff is in constant communication with the Office of the President and the Office of Student Life to ensure that university leadership is aware of the continuing investigation by local law enforcement. We will refrain from further comment until the findings of the investigation are complete.”
The investigation is ongoing.
For more Washington State news, visit WazzouWatch.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
