Police chief says WSU football players weren't targeted

Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins on Wednesday rejected claims from Washington State University coach Mike Leach that his department was unfairly targeting members of the Cougar football team after recommendations of second-degree felony assault charges against two players were forwarded to the county prosecutor this week.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for coach Leach and we have a good working relationship," Jenkins said, "but I disagree with the characterization we are targeting football players.

"We treat everyone the same no matter who they are - everyone is treated with dignity and respect," he added. "We don't target people for who they are, that includes race, gender, sexual orientation (or) if they are a football player."

Leach, in a prepared statement he read after practice Tuesday, criticized the police department and the media for their handling of several recent incidents allegedly involving members of his team.

"We're going to let the legal system take its course. But the system has to be checked if with the number of people involved in these incidents, the only ones accused are football players," Leach told reporters. "If that's the case, then something is seriously wrong, which goes deeper than whatever has even been alleged.

"... It is irresponsible to this town, this community and everybody to have some kind of a double standard where we only focus on one demographic, one group of people and then drag their name through the newspaper with a bunch of irresponsible comments."

It's the second time Leach has publicly questioned findings from an investigation by the department. On Aug. 25 he told the Daily News his star safety, Shalom Luani, 22, was "jumped" by three men at Domino's Pizza, despite reports from the police and witnesses that Luani was the aggressor. Recommendations of second-degree felony assault charges against Luani were forwarded to the Whitman County prosecutor on Wednesday.

Two additional alleged assaults involving WSU football players took place this summer.

Starting linebacker U'umaulauaganu'u "Logan" Tago faces charges of second-degree robbery and second-degree assault for allegedly mugging a man with five other men for a six pack of beer in the early morning hours of June 4. Charges in the case were filed this week.

Jenkins told The Lewiston Tribune Tago originally denied taking an active part in the incident, but "as we continued doing interviews and attempting to find other witnesses or video, and doing further interviews with Tago, he ended up admitting, yeah, he probably did hit the guy and take his stuff."

The third assault is still under investigation, but the incident left two WSU students in the hospital in the early morning hours of July 23.

Charges have not been filed in the third case, which allegedly involved several unidentified members of the football team. WSU student Alex Rodriguez alleged he was assaulted by the group after he tried to shut down a party at his house after partygoers began throwing fireworks inside the dwelling. Rodriguez alleged he was attacked by the players and had his jaw was broken in two. He said his friend was also assaulted when the fight broke out.

"Everybody's hitting everybody. The only guys accused of doing anything are football players," Leach said Tuesday. "... Where's everybody else? What about the other 100 people in the room? What was their role?"

Jenkins acknowledged fights involving people other than members of the WSU football team took place in the house.

"Yes, other people engaged in assault behavior, but it happened to be the most serious ones were involving football players," Jenkins said. "... They lift weights, they are big and strong and more likely to cause serious injury than someone who is less physically fit."

Jenkins said football players are also more likely to be known by the student body and therefore are easier to identify.

"These incidents don't just happen with student athletes, these incidents happen all the time, but they aren't under the same scrutiny," Jenkins said.

Glenn Johnson, Pullman's mayor and the longtime voice of the Cougs, said a lot of that scrutiny comes from the media blowing crimes involving athletes out of proportion.

"I wonder how often reporters will go through booking sheets in Seattle for the UW football team," Johnson said. "I know it's a standard beat practice in the Inland Northwest. We are very transparent, everything is online, most sports reporters check that line everyday, but you don't see a lot of these stories about a normal student who has an assault case."

Johnson agreed with Leach that the players should be considered innocent until proven guilty, but when it came to the police department targeting football players, Johnson said, "I don't agree they single out football players - whatever witnesses tell them is the way they go, and they find whatever justification they have for an arrest."

Both Jenkins and Johnson said the conduct of WSU student athletes has improved since the arrival of Leach and Moos.

"These instances are an anomaly," Jenkins said. "Coach Leach may feel the way he does because of a few instances in a short amount of time. We are not engaged in any targeting or any double standard. Once the reports are available I'm confident the public will come to the same conclusion."

WSU Athletic Director Bill Moos released a statement Wednesday.

"We are well aware of recent incidents involving Washington State football, including many details associated with each incident that have not been reported. We take such allegations very seriously and, as always, we will fully cooperate with local authorities. We intend to respect the legal process and all the rights guaranteed to everyone involved," Moos wrote. "Until the full legal process has reached completion, WSU Athletics will have no further comment on these matters. We believe such a position is most fair to all parties and best protects the integrity of the legal process."

Josh Babcock can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to jbabcock@dnews.com.