<p>News of an assault on a student by four other students at Presidential II over the weekend while others watched according to the news media. Published reports say the student is in ICU with a brain bleed. Police weren’t called until the student began seizing following the attacks according to the articles.</p>
<p>I really struggled with whether to post this. I decided to do so because I think it is important to see how this is handled. I’m not posting the link, but reports are on Al.com and the Tuscaloosa News. There is no excuse for this and I hope these boys are expelled.</p>
<p>I bet all involved, including the victim, get expelled.</p>
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<p>Four other students are suspected of assaulting the 18-year-old victim, according to court documents. The attack happened early Saturday morning at the Presidential Village II dorm on the north side of campus.</p>
<p>Three other students had been charged with second-degree assault as of Wednesday evening.</p>
<p>According to court documents, suspect Nicholas Mitrow, 18, called his friends at 12:30 a.m. Saturday and said he had found a suspect who had assaulted him earlier.</p>
<p>Authorities believe that Mitrow’s friend, Zachary Stewart, 18, arrived and punched the victim in the face, knocking him to the ground, according to the deposition filed by a Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit investigator.</p>
<p>Suspect Joseph Baroni, 18, “began jumping on the victim and punching him,” he wrote. The fourth suspect, Kevin Brady, “grabbed the victim from behind in a choke hold and pulled him until he fell back and then got up and started punching and kicking the victim until he was knocked unconscious.”</p>
<p>I was assaulted without provocation at a party off campus when I was at UA, and my nephew was assaulted, and sustained severe brain injuries, in an on campus assault at an Auburn Frat house. This kind of thing happens at all schools. Alcohol is usually involved. </p>
<p>Yes, alcohol is usually involved…and often a girl is involved (not directly, but some issue involving some guy hitting on someone else’s love-interest.)</p>
<p>Since the victim apparently attacked one of the guys earlier, I wonder what that was all about.<br>
Obviously, the payback was crazy/excessive.</p>
<p>We do need to wait til we hear everything. Remember that crazy story awhile back where some non-student claimed that some frat guys beat him up after he “innocently” asked for directions? Well, the truth came out that the non-student’s story was not correct, and he was the one who instigated everything. </p>
<p>if someone beat up another someone to the point that they were hospitalized and in intensive care, that is not something that you get “expelled” over. That’s something that you go to prison for. </p>
<p>Who knows what may happen with the legal system or how long it might take. With witnesses to the attack and possibly even video of the attack from the dorm or from a student possibly capturing it on his phone, I would think an investigation wouldn’t take long and the UA could expel the boys rather than suspend them. There’s always the possibility we don’t have all the details, but there is no excuse for what has been reported so far. Kids are impulsive. Fights happen…but this was apparently more than a punch in the nose. Again, an opportunity to talk with our kids about consequences.</p>
<p>"The victim, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 270 pounds, had a seizure while bystanders called for help. He was transported to the intensive care unit at DCH Regional Medical Center where doctors diagnosed him with bleeding within his brain, according to the documents.</p>
<p>The victim is from Texas, according to the court file.</p>
<p>Mitrow, from New Jersey, was arrested Tuesday while Stewart, from Colorado, and Brady, from New York, were arrested Wednesday. All are charged with felony second-degree assault and have been released from the Tuscaloosa County Jail on bond."</p>
<p>Not sure about the “bystanders just watching” thing after reading this. Sounds like people called for help, but were afraid to physically intervene, which is understandable. And all of the students involved were from out of state. </p>
<p>I don’t think I said they were “just watching”, atlanta68, I think I said while others watched. I did say that police weren’t called until he began seizing, so I guess that’s why you said that. That’s how I read the articles, but it’s possible I misinterpreted. I was not trying to mislead anyone. </p>
<p>I haven’t judged the victim, and really thought the story sounded a bit off from the start. The victim’s story certainly sounds more plausible to me. As for judging the others, yeah, I’m guilty. There is no excuse for what they did. I wonder if this will affect the fraternity?</p>
<p>I’m hopeful that the fraternity will have four fewer members on campus because these four will be expelled and perhaps spending some time in jail. I don’t think there’s a place on campus for people who behave so violently.</p>
<p>The link posted above is a news article that clearly states that the victim was not involved in the earlier fight. His friend was and he intervened by telling the thugs to “keep moving.” They decided that was probable cause to beat the pulp out of another human being. I am glad that the victim is well enough to be released from the hospital. But I still think the offenders should get jail time- and expulsion should be just the tip of the iceberg. </p>
<p>And I really wish the university would communicate their take on what happened. I know there are a lot of privacy issues, but I’m hearing from people that there are rumors (unfounded in my opinion) circulating among students about who was involved and what the source of the conflict was. A lot of these kids didn’t realize it had hit the local papers!</p>
<p>According to news reports all four fraternity brothers who are alleged to have participated in the attack have now been arrested and bonded out of jail. Police were reportedly in contact with the fourth suspect yesterday and he is reported to have turned himself at some point after that according to published media reports. I am happy to see that, according to WBRC News, TPD has taken over the case due to the serious nature of the crime. While some may strongly disagree, I see little difference in what happened here and gang behavior on the streets of Atlanta. I believe in due process, but I also hope justice is swift by the UA and the legal system since, according to news reports, there is video of what took place. It really makes no difference to me what the initial dispute was about, but it appears the victim was completely innocent and tried to protect his friend. It could have happened anywhere, but we need to send a message that it won’t be tolerated in Tuscaloosa or on the UA campus.</p>