NCAA
What was South Carolina women’s basketball player Ashlyn Watkins charged with? Can she go to jail?
Watkins has been arrested on a series of charges after an incident that occurred over the past weekend.
Ashlyn Watkins, a South Carolina women’s basketball player, was arrested on assault and battery and kidnapping charges following an incident that occurred on Saturday at the school campus.
The report filed by the University of South Carolina Police Force and obtained by WLTX, says that Watkins assaulted the victim by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing”, adding that she picked up the victim against her will and carried her.
The basketball standout reportedly “grabbed the victim’s head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving”, it continues. The victim, who is said to have known Watkins, managed to get free and escape. She was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Watkins’ attorney, Todd Rutherford, told WLTX on Saturday night that he and his client are asking for patience ahead from the public, eager to know more about the arrest. “We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding,” he commented. “What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone.”
Watkins, who is set to appear in court on October 25, was ordered to stay 1,000 feet from the victim’s home, work, school and place of worship. She was granted a $30,000 personal recognisance bond. While she has not gone to jail as of yet, a guilty sentence may mean a jail time punishment is given.
In a statement to ESPN, a South Carolina program spokesperson said “we are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information.” Watkins played for Cardinal Newman High School and was a key part of the last season’s national championship team, averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.