KPD still following Vols brawl

Sources say at least one more player to be charged

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

KNOXVILLE -- The investigation into an early Friday morning bar fight involving several University of Tennessee football players continued Monday.

Attempts to contact Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk were unsuccessful, but other KPD sources told the Times Free Press that at least one other Volunteer likely will be charged before the investigation is concluded.

Sophomore safety Darren Myles Jr. (simple assault, evading arrest, resisting arrest and public intoxication) and freshman wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers (disorderly conduct and resisting arrest) were charged Friday.

No charges have been released from the initial dispute, which sent two bar patrons -- including an off-duty KPD officer -- to UT Medical Center. The assault charge against Myles, who was dismissed from the football program Friday night, came from his struggle to break free from an arresting UT Police Department officer.

KPD sources said the department planned to interview injured officer Robert Capouellez for the first time Monday. His head injury prevented them from interviewing him over the weekend, the sources added.

UT didn't release any statements Monday, but athletic director Mike Hamilton and coach Derek Dooley are still looking into the matter while awaiting an official KPD report.

"A lot of the culture (here) is probably perceived worse than it is -- and it always is," Dooley said. "We have some great young men who want to do right and are doing right, but there have been enough incidents to know that we can't just stick our head in the sand and say, 'We're really OK.' I don't ever stick my head in the sand.

"I don't know how you define it. I just know it's not where it needs to be."

In addition to Myles' dismissal, Dooley indefinitely suspended sophomore linebacker Greg King and sophomore defensive tackle Marlon Walls on Friday night. Multiple sources said Walls was scheduled to meet with police investigators Monday.

Sophomore defensive tackle Montori Hughes retained prominent Knoxville attorney Gregory P. Isaacs on Friday. Isaacs released a statement saying Hughes was "a fine student-athlete that was the victim of an unprovoked assault.

"We don't anticipate that any charges are forthcoming, and significantly, Mr. Montori Hughes does not have any personal knowledge about events that took place outside the establishment," the statement continued.