Kentucky suspends 4 players after BB gun incident; police considering 'next steps'
What started as a few questions for coach Mark Stoops on Monday has become a scandal for Kentucky's football program.
Four Wildcats players have been suspended following a shots-fired incident on campus Sunday, according to the university.
Four University of Kentucky football student-athletes, freshmen Dorian Baker, Drew Barker, Tymere Dubose and Stanley Williams, have been suspended for Saturday’s game vs. South Carolina and will have additional internal team discipline for violation of team rules in relation to an incident on campus Sunday evening.
Stoops said in a statement he supports the punishment.
“Proper conduct is emphasized as a core value of our program,” Stoops said. “If we have a situation in which someone does not act according to our standards, we hold him accountable.”
Mitch Barnhart, Kentucky's director of athletics, also released a statement:
We absolutely respect being part of a wonderful campus community. It disappoints us when one of our student-athletes does not live up to our expectations. We respect the process of the university and are working hand-in-hand with the campus community on this issue.
It appears suspensions are only part of the initial steps, though, according to University of Kentucky Police Chief Joe Monroe.
Today, University of Kentucky Police continued its investigation into Sunday’s incident on campus. We have been able to identify all of the people in a picture from last night’s incident captured on security cameras. Moreover, three BB guns connected with the incident were recovered as part of our investigation. UK Police officers also have interviewed those identified in the picture and worked closely with the Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Athletics on the appropriate next steps. To that end, we will be meeting tomorrow with the Fayette County Attorney’s office to determine what actions should take place. Once that investigation is completed, that information will be turned over to the Office of Student Affairs as dictated by university policy to investigate whether any violations of the code of student conduct have taken place.