The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News - 3/26 M Car Covers (by State of Nine) | 12/12 Make Amazon Pay Saabnet!
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 12:03:52 -0700
From: "Doc Holiday" <Docnopsamrral.com>
Subject: Hate Crime with a twist


Here's a "high profile" Hate Crime you may or may not have heard about. Looks like a "high profile" brudtha is goin' to da pen, or will he? Whether he does or doesn't though, this White separatist says: Nice shot bro! Penn State quarterback charged with beating cop 05/15/00 By Josh Margolin STAFF WRITER Penn State University quarterback Rashard Casey was arrested in his hometown of Hoboken early yesterday on charges that he beat a police officer unconscious because the cop, who is white, was out with a black woman, authorities said. Casey, 22, a Star-Ledger First Team All-State selection from Hoboken High School in 1995 who led Penn State to a 24-0 victory over Texas A&M University in the 1999 Alamo Bowl, was charged with aggravated assault. He was being held at the Hudson County jail on $5,000 bail last night, police said. Also charged with aggravated assault was Desmond Miller, 22, a high school teammate of Casey who now lives in Jersey City, police said. Miller was also being held at the county jail on $20,000 bail. The officer, Patrick Fitzsimmons, 34, was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital in Hoboken with injuries to his head and face. He was released later yesterday, authorities said. Casey and Miller are to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Jersey City at 10 a.m. today. A third former member of the Hoboken football team, Keeon Walker, a Star- Ledger First Team All-State selection in 1997 who now plays for Syracuse University, tried to intervene in the attack, Hoboken Police Chief Carmen LaBruno said. But Walker could not stop Casey and Miller from pounding the officer's head into the sidewalk, LaBruno said. Walker, who turns 20 today, was not arrested, but was questioned by police and may be brought back in once investigators gather more evidence, LaBruno said. Walker could not be reached for comment last night. "Apparently, Miller, Casey and (Walker) took exception to the fact that the officer was white and he was with a black woman," LaBruno said. "Apparently, words were exchanged. We anticipate further charges, one of which will be a bias charge." The three players are black. Fitzsimmons, who has been on the Hoboken police force for five years, was off duty and unarmed at the time of the incident, LaBruno said. "He's significantly hurt," LaBruno said. "He needs facial surgery." Reached at his home last night, Fitzsimmons declined to comment. The incident occurred about 2:40 a.m. outside River Street, a nightclub near the PATH station, LaBruno said. Fitzsimmons and the woman, who was not identified, had gone out to dinner and then stopped at the club for a drink, LaBruno said. The three men were in the club, the chief said. The trio had been drinking, according to statements gathered by police. They knew Fitzsimmons from the neighborhood and were aware he is a cop, LaBruno said. The five left the club at about the same time, though not together, LaBruno said. Words were exchanged when they got outside and then Casey and Miller jumped the officer, LaBruno said. The chief said Walker tried to intervene and "told them that that was a police officer." LaBruno said there were three eyewitnesses, including an off-duty Jersey City police officer. Fitzsimmons, the brother of police Lt. James Fitzsimmons, a former Hoboken city council president, is assigned to the community-policing division where, among other things, he teaches tolerance training as part of the department's efforts to control bias crimes, the chief said. LaBruno yesterday warned anyone who might try to get the criminal-justice system to go easy on Casey because of his on-field abilities. "Because this guy is big time, I'm sure there'll be people looking out for his best interest. If there is any intervention by anybody, I will look to indict on obstruction charges," LaBruno said. Casey will be a fifth-year senior this fall and is the projected starting quarterback. He is featured on the cover of Penn State's annual football guide and was the starter in the team's spring game. Casey's first start for Penn State came last Dec. 28, when he passed for one touchdown and ran for a second in the Nittany Lions' victory in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. "Penn State obviously is concerned by reports that quarterback Rashard Casey has been charged in connection with an incident early this morning in Hoboken, N.J.," Budd Thalman, Penn State's associate athletic director, said last night. "It would be inappropriate to make a further comment at this time until additional facts of the matter are known." Casey, who led Hoboken to the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 titles in 1994 and 1995, chose Penn State over Syracuse. Now a tailback at Syracuse, Walker, a Star-Ledger First Team All State selection in 1997, and a second-team selection in 1996, was a member of Hoboken's championship teams in 1995 and 1996. One of three offensive players moved to Syracuse's secondary this spring, Walker is being converted to strong safety. Messages left with the Syracuse University athletic department were not returned yesterday.

Return to Main Index
StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]