(Note: This story will continue to be bumped to the top with each update. Updated at 8:05 A.M..)
Scooter Berry, the marquee name on West Virginia's defensive line, was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct this past Saturday night outside of Bent Willey's in Morgantown. The disorderly conduct charge stems from when Berry allegedly struck a Morgantown Police officer.
From TSM's witnesses at the scene, this is what happened:
- Scooter Berry, visibly intoxicated and with a group of friends, left Bent Willey's and began loitering in the parking lot off Chestnut Street. This parking lot is notorious for incidents such as this and is strictly monitored by the Morgantown Police.
- Morgantown Police asked the group that Berry was with to vacate the area.
- Berry, again visibly intoxicated, belligerently harassed the officers, at one point asking them to "arrest me, I'll be out in an hour."
- Morgantown Police told Berry and his group that, "if you guys just get out of here, we can all go home."
- Berry and his group did not go home.
- Finally, as the police started to cuff Berry and the members of his group, one of the group members jumped on an officer's back. At that point, Berry stood up and, intentionally or not, caught the arresting officer with an elbow.
- Berry was arrested, charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct, and released.
We understand, for his actions Saturday night, Berry will be suspended indefinitely from the team but will remain on scholarship. Word from the President's Office is that it is possible he will be permanently kicked off the team or removed from the team for the duration of the season.
UPDATES AFTER THE JUMP...
UPDATE #1: We may know the identity of the person arrested for jumping on a police officer's back: Courtney Stuart. Yes, boys and girls, this just gets worse and worse.
UPDATE #2: Bill Stewart's comments on Scooter Berry:
I want to talk about Scooter Berry, who had an incident in the wee hours of Sunday morning after our victory over Marshall. Scooter broke team policy and has been suspend indefinitely by me. He will remain in that capacity until I deem further. We have certain procedures and policies here about wearing the Old Gold and Blue. We are going to make mistakes in life, and a mistake he made. That will be left for some restitution for myself, the staff, the senior class and the rest of his teammates. At the appropriate time, if he has met that restitution, we will talk about the reinstatement.
Bill Stewart seems to honestly care about the reputation and dignity of the Old Gold and Blue. I know he's a genuine man, but when he first mentioned that phrase, I thought it was only that -- a phrase. I now believe that it's more of an ideal that he demands his players to be worthy of competing. I admire that. Scooter Berry, obviously, did not.
UPDATE #3: OK, Scooter Berry has denied being with Courtney Stuart, and the two arrests may be completely unrelated, so I will certainly back away from that angle. My apologies.
UPDATE #4: TSM originally reported what was conveyed to us by eye witnesses at scene Saturday night. Scooter Berry, who was obviously at the scene, has disputed those accounts. Because of that, I have at least crossed through my original statements. I was never out to burn Scooter because, of course, I am a Mountaineer fan first and foremost. But, I still trust my sources -- they wouldn't relay knowingly false information. So, I apologize if my info was indeed incorrect, but it was never meant in a malicious manner.
UUPDATE #5: During the morning news on WVAQ, it was reported that Courtney Stuart was arrested on charges that occurred while Stuart was at JC in Arizona. The incident was known during the recruiting process and the arrest was expected. It was just a highly bizarre coincidence that these two arrests occured in the same night. That is why we said "may know the identity."