Six Cal. U. football players to face charges
Amanda Steen | 缅北禁地
From left, Jonathan Barlow, 21, of Pittsburgh, Rodney Gillin, 20, of Reading, and Corey Ford, 22, of Harrisburg, are escorted into Magistrate District Judge Joshua P. Kanalis鈥� courtroom in November. All three football players are accused of assaulting Lewis Campbell, 30, at California University of Pennsylvania on Oct. 30.
Wilkerson
Williamson
Dunkley
In this file photo from November 2014, from left, Jonathan Barlow 21, of Pittsburgh, Rodney Gillin, 20, of Reading, and Corey Ford, 22, of Harrisburg, are escorted into Magistrate District Judge Joshua P. Kanalis鈥� courtroom. All three football players are accused of assaulting Lewis Campbell, 30, at California University of Pennsylvania on Oct. 30. After an internal investigation, Cal U officials vow to more closely scrutinize the athletic program at the university.
WEST BROWNSVILLE 鈥� Six California University of Pennsylvania football players accused of an assault that left a man hospitalized in intensive care with a severe brain injury will be headed to Washington County Court.
The alleged incident took place Oct. 30 outside of Spuds Eatery on Wood Street where, according to witnesses, one of the men arrested, Corey L. Ford, and Shyreese Asparagus (no age or address available) exchanged words, police said.
When Asparagus鈥� boyfriend, Lewis Campbell, 30, no address available, spoke to Ford about his comments to his girlfriend, the suspects allegedly 鈥減unched, pushed, kicked and stomped鈥� him until he was unconscious and in need of medical assistance, police said in an affidavit of probable cause.
Campbell was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and was in the intensive care unit with a severe brain injury, police said. Campbell was in a medically induced coma for five days of the seven days he was in the hospital.
James Williamson, 20, of Parkville, Md., Jonathan Barlow, 21, of Pittsburgh, Rodney D. Gillin, 20, of Reading, D鈥橝ndre Jamal Dunkley, 19, of Philadelphia Shelby D. Wilkerson, 20, of Harrisburg and Ford, 22, of Harrisburg, face charges in connection with alleged assault.
Their preliminary hearing was Monday before Magisterial District Court Judge Joshua Kanalis.
They were charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and harassment.
According to court documents, Wilkerson was charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment and harassment.
Ford waived all charges Monday to Washington County Court.
The other five men had all charges held for court.
Each of the men鈥檚 bond was reduced from $500,000 to $50,000 鈥� 10 percent down.
They remain in Washington County Prison.
During the preliminary hearing, Asparagus testified how the incident was sparked after Ford made a comment about her appearance. She said when Campbell confronted Ford about the remarks, Ford told him in no uncertain terms that it he was only talking to the lady, not to him.
Asparagus testified that she doesn鈥檛 exactly what happened next, but as Ford and Campbell squared off against each other, members of the Cal. U. football team surrounded the men. She said the alleged fight soon escalated from one-on-one combat between the two men to six-on-one.
Dunkley鈥檚 attorney, David J. Shrager of Pittsburgh, characterized as a confused melee as comparable to a dog pile in football where it is in doubt that anyone knows exactly what happened.
Asparagus testified that after Ford was knocked unconscious, he was kicked and stomped by several men. She said that Campbell鈥檚 head was bleeding and that after his alleged attackers fled, she held his feet up because he started to go into a seizure. She said cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was administered.
California police Chief Rick Encapera showed two videos that recorded the alleged assault.
Someone can be heard on the video shouting, 鈥淪quad! Squad! Football team on deck!鈥�
Five defense attorneys sparred with Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vitone about how the videos do not definitively identify the men charged with the alleged crimes.
After the hearing, Vitone spoke about the role the video will play in the case.
鈥淚t played a role,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou had a witness who was able to identify most of the actors and what they did, so that played a role. It is unusual to have video footage like this in an assault. We were fortunate that there was a shop right there that was able to at least capture some of what occurred that evening.鈥�
Defense attorneys tore apart witness conflicting witness statements as to events arising out of the alleged assault.
Vitone said witness accounts will be something for a jury to assess.
鈥淵ou got to remember that you are talking about a spectrum of events 鈥� maybe talking about something here, something there,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something for a jury to assess at trial. Really, the point of today鈥檚 proceedings is to see if there is sufficient evidence to hold them over for court. The judge viewed the evidence and found that there was.鈥�
Vitone said it is not unusual for witnesses to have differing testimony regarding what happened.
鈥淵ou got to remember, this was a highly charged event that occurred in front of people,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow whether these are inconsistencies that mean something or not, that鈥檒l have to be determined at trial.鈥�
Gillin鈥檚 attorney, Blaine Jones of Pittsburgh, said conflicting testimony regarding events helps his client.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely thrilled from the standpoint of the testimony,鈥� Jones said after the hearing. 鈥淭here are several inconsistencies that are going to be beneficial down the road for my client.鈥�
Jones said he is not worried about the video footage.
鈥淲hy would I be worried about anything,鈥� he said. 鈥淪everal witnesses testified that they can鈥檛 tell who my client is. I鈥檓 encouraged by the video. I can鈥檛 wait to see the video again. One of the witnesses said he couldn鈥檛 identify my client. Police chief (Encapera) said the same thing.鈥�
Barlow鈥檚 attorney, Nicole Nino 鈥� Blaine Jones鈥� law partner 鈥� said her client will prevail because witnesses were not consistent during their recollection of events. Nino said she doesn鈥檛 believe anyone truly knows what happened that evening.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled at the inconsistent statements,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e thrilled that there is a video because, if anything, proves that the inconsistencies are just that 鈥� made up inconsistencies to be perfectly honest鈥he video is going to tell it all. We鈥檙e ecstatic there is a video. My client not even identified on that video鈥�