BC's Watson injured fleeing assailants
Jermaine Watson, a senior guard on Boston College's NCAA Tournament-bound men's basketball team, reportedly sustained cuts to his left ear and hand when he jumped out of a second-story window of his off-campus apartment to flee 4-5 unknown, armed assailants who had raided his Brighton residence early yesterday morning, according to Boston police.
"An incident involving one of our men's basketball players occurred off campus last night," said BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo in a statement released by the school. "We are investigating the circumstances and will have no further comment until we have all the facts."
Reached at her home last night, Pamela Judge, Watson's mother, declined to comment on the incident or her son's injuries. "He's OK," Judge said. "That's all I have to say."
Police were summoned to a two-family apartment dwelling on Foster Street at 3:40 a.m. to respond to reports of a verbal confrontation between Watson and an unidentified female, who claimed she had been shoved to the ground while attending a party. The hosts of the party told officers they were in the process of breaking up the gathering when the woman was pushed, according to a police report. No complaints were filed and no arrests were made.
About an hour later, at 4:50 a.m., police again were called to the same address to respond to reports of an unidentified male armed with a gun standing outside the first floor of the building. According to Michael McCarthy of the Boston Police Department, six patrolmen arrived at the scene and searched a second-floor apartment, finding it in disarray. "The TV was broken and glass doors were shattered and doors to a bedroom and bathroom had been kicked in," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said witnesses reported seeing 4-5 men "with guns, knives, and bats" enter the second-floor apartment and that three male victims fled from the apartment, one jumping out of a second-story window.
Two victims were treated at the scene and the third, presumably Watson, was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital to be treated for cuts to his left ear and hand, and an injured hip.
No arrests were made. Police are still investigating the matter.
BC coach Al Skinner said he spoke with Watson yesterday and expected the senior to participate in today's practice before the Eagles learn their seeding, opponent, and destination tonight for the NCAA Tournament.
"He said he's OK and he wants to play," Skinner said.
Skinner also said Watson, who served a one-game suspension at the start of the season for an unspecified violation of team rules, was not likely to be subject to any team or school sanctions "because he's the victim," the coach said. "I don't think he's done anything wrong."
