Last year the Eastern Michigan football team suffered an unspeakable tragedy when one of its players, Demarius Reed, was shot and killed during a robbery.
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Today, three members of the Eastern Michigan team face assault charges after allegedly beating up the cousin of the man sentenced to prison for the killing.
Court papers allege that on August 29 Darius Scott, Quincy Jones and Jairockeis Jones, all teammates of the late Demarius Reed, attacked Demarko Taylor, who in January testified against Reed’s murderer Kristopher Pratt and another man Ed Thomas who was later cleared.
Taylor, Pratt’s cousin, suffered facial injuries in the alleged attack by the three players and was taken to the hospital. Police say no weapons were used in the assault.
Taylor described the incident in an interview with the Ann Arbor News:
"He said he was walking back home after a trip to the store Kampus Korner, 819 Huron River Drive, and he saw the trio drive by him.He said he was with two friends and told them, “Watch, they’re going to turn around and jump me.” Not long after, he said the Dodge sedan the three players were in turned back around. Taylor said he tried to talk to them, saying he had nothing to do with Reed’s murder, but the players didn’t listen.“They’re not trying to hear it,” he said. “They want revenge or something.”Taylor said one person charged him and took a swing at him. He swung back and then they all charged him and he couldn’t defend himself."
Taylor testified in January that he spoke to Reed the night of his death and was at a party with the two accused killers but didn’t know anything about Reed’s murder until later.
Taylor was able to give police the license plate number of the car the three players were in before the assault, leading to their arrest. They were charged on Sunday and released on bond.
Eastern Michigan’s assistant AD said in a statement:
"We’re aware of the situation involving the student athletes. Right now, we’re following standard Eastern Michigan University policy regarding any disciplinary actions."