Tennessee Dismisses One, Suspends Two After Brawl in Knoxville Bar

Darrell DeBusk, the police spokesperson in Knoxville, Tenn., appeared on the radio show I co-host in Nashville and relayed the following information Friday about the current status of the University of Tennessee arrests and police investigation that is proceeding in the wake of a fight at the Bar Knoxville nightclub early Friday morning.

You can listen to that full interview here.

First, DeBusk said there is a "strong possibility" more Tennessee football players will be charged with crimes. He also provided confirmation that the most serious injury arising from the fight, an off-duty policeman's head injuries, resulted from an assault by an unnamed player. He also updated us on the status of that officer, Robert Capouellez. "The officer that was assaulted by at least one player, has been moved to a room and is currently in stable condition," DeBusk said.

Pressed as to whether he is confident that a player was involved in assaulting Capouellez, DeBusk responded, "From the witnesses and what we've been told by several individuals, that is accurate."

Further, DeBusk said it was possible that more than one player would be charged with assaulting the officer.

"We are continuing to talk with witnesses and need to do an in-depth interview with the officer," DeBusk said, "but we have not been able to do that due to his condition. We hope that we can conclude that sometime [Friday] evening."

At that time, one can presume, further arrests are likely.

DeBusk also said police are investigating two different assaults: one inside the club -- that sources said started over a girl and led to the hospitalization of another individual -- and the assault outside on the street that led to the serious injuries of the policeman.



Share DeBusk said the Knoxville police department had interviewed "a minimum of six" Tennessee football players.

Despite rumors circulating to the contrary, DeBusk said neither of the two players who had been charged, freshman receiver Da'Rick Rogers and sophomore defensive back Darren Myles, Jr., were likely to have their charges reduced or dropped. He also said, "It does not appear that there is video from inside the bar."

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, who had been vacationing with his family in Georgia, immediately returned to Knoxville to deal with the first serious incident of his tenure.

His response to the arrests was rapid. Dooley dismissed Myles from the team and indefinitely suspended two other players, defensive tackle Marlon Walls and linebacker Greg King.

"It is a privilege, not a right, to be a member of the University of Tennessee football team," Dooley said in a statement. "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."