Incoming football player booted from UT Vols.

[bubbiesdad]

Officers assaulted in bar brawl; Vols football players charged

Officers assaulted in bar brawl; Vols football players charged

Officers assaulted in bar brawl; Vols football players charged

8:32

Da'Rick Rogers (source: Knox County Sheriff's Office)

Darren Myles (source: Knox County Sheriff's Office)

Knoxville police Officer Robert Capouellez (source: Knoxville Police Department)

Gary Russell (source: Facebook)

UT police Officer Brian Greenlee

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Officers assaulted in bar brawl; Vols football players charge

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - An off-duty Knoxville police officer, a UT police officer and another man were assaulted early Friday morning outside a bar and two Vols football players are charged.

To read the police reports, click here.

Who's charged

Knoxville police charged wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, 19, a recent Vol recruit from Calhoun, Georgia, with disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor, and resisting arrest, a class B misdemeanor.

Rogers signed with the Vols this year after initially committing to Georgia. He's not listed on the Vols roster yet.

Freshman defensive back Darren Myles, of Atlanta, is charged with assaulting a UT police officer, resisting arrest and evading arrest.

Myles was released later Friday on a $1,000 bond and Rogers was released on a $1,000 bond.

Who was identified at the scene

A UT police report says that two other UT football players, Denarius Moore, 21, and Matt Milton, 18, were identified at the scene as being involved, but they haven't been charged.

The report, which was released Friday afternoon, says, "Charges are pending on Matthew Milton for assault." However, UT officials said later Friday that police don't expect to charge Milton.

Moore is a starting senior wide receiver from Tatum, Texas and Milton is a freshman wide receiver from Mascoutah, Illinois.

According to the UT police report, UT student John Brown, 22, and Jerrain R. Talley, of Athens, were also identified at the scene as being involved, but not charged. Talley doesn't attend UT.

Officers who were assaulted

The injured off-duty Knoxville policeman is Officer Robert Capouellez, 24. Officials at UT Medical Center say he's in serious condition after sustaining head injuries.

Officer Capouellez's brother, Todd, told the Sports Animal in an interview Friday morning he didn't know who pushed him down.

Todd said his brother "...has a small cut to the back of his head, a couple inches. He has a small fracture to the back of his head to the occipital portion of his lobe and he has a small...there is some injury to the front of his head."

Officer Capouellez, who was a Marine, started with the police department in 2008.

UT police Officer Brian Greenlee was hit under the eye by Darren Myles.

Other man who was assaulted

Another man in the bar, Gary Russell, 20, was treated and released from UT Medical Center after multiple injuries. Police said Russell initially got into a fight with a player and then other players jumped in.

The incident

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The incident started just before 2:00 a.m. at Bar Knoxville at 1820 Cumberland Avenue on the UT Strip.

The attorney representing freshman defensive tackle Montori Hughes, 19, said Friday afternoon that the incident began when an unknown patron at the bar attacked Hughes without being provoked.

Gregory P. Isaacs, who's representing Hughes, said his client hasn't been interviewed or charged in this case. Isaacs also said no charges are anticipated against Hughes, who played in all 13 games last season.

As the players were being led out of the bar, off-duty Officer Robert Capouellez, who was outside, got involved, and the players started beating him up.

Police officials say Capouellez was found lying on the ground unconscious when officers arrived at the scene. Witnesses say he was hit on the head and knocked to the ground. He was then kicked several times.

A police affidavit says when officers attempted to handcuff Da'Rick Rogers, he refused to put his hands behind his back and tried to turn around.

The affidavit says officers put Rogers on the ground, but he still wouldn't put his hands behind his back. Police finally took him into custody.

UT police Officer Brian Greenlee responded to the scene, and was directed toward a group of men he heard had assaulted a Knoxville police officer.

After Officer Greenlee approached the group, Darren Myles fled on foot southbound toward Lake Avenue. Officer Greenlee caught up to Myles on Lake Avenue, but Myles slipped from his grip and struck him with his elbow under the officer's left eye.

Police said Myles continued to resist arrest and ran north toward Cumberland Avenue. Officers found him hiding under a white BMW parked behind the old Days Inn building, but he ran east on Lake Avenue.

Myles then ran behind the Howard Baker building, through the breezeway of Greve Hall, and turned north toward Henson Hall. Officers found him hiding in bushes next to Henson and arrested him.

Bar Knoxville owner Sandy Martin says around seven to 10 UT football players were involved, and she recognized some of them, but didn't know their names.

Martin says the bar always gives VIP status to the football players, and she told the Chattanooga Free Press that means they pay no cover at the door.

She says she was forced to shut the bar down early as a result of the incident.

Bar Knoxville handed over its VIP list to police, but it was not released to the media.

Police said six men were detained overnight for questioning after being identified as involved in the brawl. All but one are students at UT.

Police said Friday afternoon they're looking for three more persons of interest.

Player arrested in past

Darren Myles was arrested in April and charged with two misdemeanors for disorderly conduct and underage consumption in an incident at Sobu on Kingston Pike.

Head coach Derek Dooley decided not to suspend Myles for this incident. His punishment was handled internally.

Coach Dooley

Coach Dooley cut his vacation short and returned to Knoxville Friday to deal with the incident at the bar.

He released this statement on Friday evening:

"It is a privilege, not a right, to be a member of the University of Tennessee football team. The most important responsibility of that privilege is to properly represent this institution and our supporters on and off the field.

I am disappointed and in many ways embarrassed by the poor judgment displayed on many fronts by several members of our football team last night.

Although we are still gathering all the facts and some legal proceedings will follow, we have taken some initial levels of discipline resulting from my conversations with the student-athletes who were present.

Darren Myles has been permanently dismissed from our football program. Marlon Walls and Greg King have been indefinitely suspended.

I am respectful of the process that follows with the local authorities and with our institutional guidelines and leadership.

As I have referenced on many occasions, a change in culture is achieved in time through a combination of education, discipline and support. We will aggressively continue to build on the many positive changes that have occurred over the last five months to ensure our program is represented with class and dignity.

So, why is this joint serving minors. I kinow, I know, football players are different. Until Coach Dooley arrived that is.

Fulmer would probably suspeneded them for the first quarter of the first game.

Edited July 9, 2010 by bubbiesdad

[G27]

Funny quote from a UT fan: "you have to wonder how we are going to beat florida and alabama when it takes 6 or 7 of our players to fight one person"

[Mike.357]

everyone complains that the players are thugs or criminals and out of control. I say they only are breaking some laws, what's the big deal?

Go to a UT game, pick any game. Walk around the parking lots. What do you see? Alcohol use. Well alcohol use is plainly illegal on campus. NO question about it. But everyone laughs and looks the other way pretty much. Even alcohol is allowed in the stadium, provided you donate huge amounts of money and have a luxury box.

So we expect the players to live to a standard that others are not held to. Well it is a bunch of crap and the university is two faced.

The university bends rules for certain people then attempts to hold others to a higher standard. And then when these things happen they act all indignant.

The place is a freaking joke.

The bottom line is that money talks and money makes the rules.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

Those players deserved the oustings.....they've been nothing but trouble and so is the UT program too...

[Guest clownsdd]

Mike, I agree with most of your "thoughts" but.....Yes, these players are held to higher standards and set up as an example for kids to follow and are "paid" via scholarships. They are breaking laws, no doubt about that and should have their scholarships suspended, fined or whatever penalty is deemed appropriate. Ain't the same as a teacher or administrator screwing up cause no one really watches or cares about them.

[

[G27]

I know laws are laws, but I don't think you can compare alcohol consumption with beating the hell out of someone.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

I know laws are laws, but I don't think you can compare alcohol consumption with beating the hell out of someone.

Especially a police officer!

[Mike.357]

I know laws are laws, but I don't think you can compare alcohol consumption with beating the hell out of someone.

And this I was waiting for.

Everytime a UT player ( well most every time) gets into trouble what is the common denominator?

The root of the problem is alcohol. If everyone was held to the same standard the players might better understand why they are held to that standard.

[vontar]

Lately, it is like some of the players have just been destine to Wear Orange.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Did they do BAC tests on everyone?

[Guest TargetShooter84]

Did they do BAC tests on everyone?

Why would that matter?

If they ran from the police or worse, assaulted a officer, that's bad enough to bypass the BAC test....

[G27]

And this I was waiting for.

Everytime a UT player ( well most every time) gets into trouble what is the common denominator?

The root of the problem is alcohol. If everyone was held to the same standard the players might better understand why they are held to that standard.

So, people on campus drinking at games are allowed to get into brawls? Not sure I follow you here.

I disagree the root of the problem is alcohol, it's self control. Millions of people in this country will drink tonight and very few will get into a fight.

I honestly don't see where players are held to a 'higher' standard than everyone else. If anything they think they're invincible at a school like UT as they're heralded as superstars. They get away with a LOT more than the average student would under the same circumstances.

[Guest bkelm18]

And this I was waiting for.

Everytime a UT player ( well most every time) gets into trouble what is the common denominator?

The root of the problem is alcohol. If everyone was held to the same standard the players might better understand why they are held to that standard.

So... it's wrong to punish them for beating a cop?

[Mike.357]

FWIW I do not condone fighting, certainly not in bars. The cop was off duty and not in uniform.

[Guest Jamie]

Millions of people in this country will drink tonight and very few will get into a fight.

Yup. I'm drinkin' tonight. And there likely won't be any fights....

... unless somebody starts another religious thread. :P

J.

[Guest Jamie]

FWIW I do not condone fighting, certainly not in bars. The cop was off duty and not in uniform.

Doesn't matter, if he identified himself as an officer. Also, there were two cops there... were both out of uniform?

Oh, and there was a comment on the evening news about the players just practicing up to become Titans...

J.

[DaveTN]

Do they still have prison teams that play each other?

[kb4ns]

As a former campus police officer, I can personally attest to the fact that the college athletes (at the U of Memphis anyway) are not held to a higher standard. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I watched them get away with many things that you or I would do time for. I've never been a sports guy, but if I was, I definitely think I'd have a hard time supporting the program after my time there.

[Rightwinger]

Yup. I'm drinkin' tonight. And there likely won't be any fights....

... unless somebody starts another religious thread. :P

J.

Go in peace.

LOL

[Guest SUNTZU]

Why would that matter?

If they ran from the police or worse, assaulted a officer, that's bad enough to bypass the BAC test....

Was the off duty cop drinking? Was he a patron of the bar? I understand that he was an off duty cop but he's still a young guy hanging out at a bar is what it sounds like to me. Lots of young guys fight at bars as I recall. Why did the fight start is what I want to know. I briefly heard this on the radio this morning and found the news release lacking information. I'm not siding with the players I just want to know all of the story...if there is more to it.

[Mike.357]

the cop not in uniform was a patron at the bar, he got involved in the incident after the fight had started. ( heard that on the radio this morning) I assume he ID'd himself as a cop. Does not really matter. He was probably helping the bouncers who most likely knew he was a cop.

I hope CDD does something firm here. There is very little personal responsibility among some student athletes.. And it is not just at UT.

The bottom line is that the boosters and university condone this stuff. They are intested in wins and bowl trips.

[Guest SUNTZU]

the cop not in uniform was a patron at the bar, he got involved in the incident after the fight had started. ( heard that on the radio this morning) I assume he ID'd himself as a cop. Does not really matter. He was probably helping the bouncers who most likely knew he was a cop.

I hope CDD does something firm here. There is very little personal responsibility among some student athletes.. And it is not just at UT.

The bottom line is that the boosters and university condone this stuff. They are intested in wins and bowl trips.

Okay, thanks Mike. Ass kickings are in order from the university. BUT, follow the money and nothing big will happen.

[DaveTN]

Was the off duty cop drinking? Was he a patron of the bar? I understand that he was an off duty cop but he's still a young guy hanging out at a bar is what it sounds like to me. Lots of young guys fight at bars as I recall. Why did the fight start is what I want to know. I briefly heard this on the radio this morning and found the news release lacking information. I'm not siding with the players I just want to know all of the story...if there is more to it.

He tried to stop these thugs when they were attacking a patron of the bar. That is what any Police Officer would do. They attacked him, knocked him out and then kicked him while he was on the ground.

Why would it matter if he was drinking?

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

everyone complains that the players are thugs or criminals and out of control. I say they only are breaking some laws, what's the big deal?

Go to a UT game, pick any game. Walk around the parking lots. What do you see? Alcohol use. Well alcohol use is plainly illegal on campus. NO question about it. But everyone laughs and looks the other way pretty much. Even alcohol is allowed in the stadium, provided you donate huge amounts of money and have a luxury box.

So we expect the players to live to a standard that others are not held to. Well it is a bunch of crap and the university is two faced.

The university bends rules for certain people then attempts to hold others to a higher standard. And then when these things happen they act all indignant.

The place is a freaking joke.

The bottom line is that money talks and money makes the rules.

I know, personally, that MTSU is a dry campus, except on Saturday Home games. I'm pretty sure that if MTSU does it, UT probably does it to, heck, don't they sell beer inside of Neyland?

Yup. I'm drinkin' tonight. And there likely won't be any fights....

... unless somebody starts another religious thread. :P

J.

God Loves You

[bubbiesdad]

Was the off duty cop drinking? Was he a patron of the bar? I understand that he was an off duty cop but he's still a young guy hanging out at a bar is what it sounds like to me. Lots of young guys fight at bars as I recall. Why did the fight start is what I want to know. I briefly heard this on the radio this morning and found the news release lacking information. I'm not siding with the players I just want to know all of the story...if there is more to it.

Saw the co-owner of the bar on TV. She said that someone bumped into one of the players, he tried to apologize and the player(s) responded by wailling on him. I wonder if she makes a habit of serving all minors, or just VIP's.