Students

TCU Football Players Arrested for Robbery; Michael Tuana, Andre Petties-Wilson Also Accused of Assault

By

Two football players at Texas Christian University (TCU) were arrested for robbery with bodily injury, a second-class felony.

According to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Michael Rea Tuaua, 22, Andre Petties-Wilson, 19, were arrested for allegedly beating up other TCU students outside a party before making off with a case of beer that did not belong to them. Tuana, a sophomore defensive end, and Petties-Wilson, a redshirt freshman wide receiver, posted their $15,000 bail and were released from jail Monday night.

Mark Cohen, a spokesman for TCU, told The Telegram the two players are "suspended... for a violation of team rules." TCU head football coach Gary Patterson has not commented on the matter as of Tuesday morning.

The incident in question took place Friday, Sept. 4, the night after TCU beat Minnesota on the road to open their season.

Arrest warrants for both players obtained by NBC Dallas Fort Worth indicated one of the complainants witnessed a fellow student being punched and kicked while lying on the ground "in the fetal position." It is unclear how many people were involved, as the report released to the public was heavily redacted.

However, two men were treated at the scene, while one went to the hospital, but only suffered minor injuries, The Telegram reported.

The newspaper learned Tuana told Detective S.L. Horner in an interview that he was went to the party with three friends, one of whom he witnessed being "surrounded by three males." His attorney reportedly present, he told police he intervened physically to help defend his friend.

TCU issued a campus crime alert at the time of the incident and indicated the perpetrators were not invited to the party they showed up to, NBC DFW learned. The violence apparently broke out after the uninvited guests were asked to leave.

"It is disappointing to learn about these students' alleged behavior, which fails to live up to the expectations of our community. Texas Christian University expects its students to behave in an ethical manner, abide by campus policies and adhere to state and federal law," TCU said in a statement. "The students who are under investigation will also face a charge of violating the University Code of Student Conduct, the results of which are independent and separate from any legal charges they may face."

© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics