Ashlyn Watkins, a South Carolina women’s basketball standout, was arrested on assault, battery, and kidnapping allegations.
According to a warrant issued by the University of South Carolina Police Department and obtained by CBS affiliate WLTX-TV, Watkins assaulted the girl by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing.”
The warrant further states that the college junior picked up the victim against her will and carried her. According to the account, Watkins “grabbed the victim’s head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.”
The victim, who was not identified in court filings, eventually escaped and activated a fire alarm, according to the warrant. This prompted the presence of emergency personnel, who treated the sufferer for injuries. A women’s basketball spokesperson told The Associated Press via text that the school was aware of Watkins’ arrest and was still gathering information. Watkins did not immediately react to a message on social media requesting comment.
During a bond hearing on Saturday afternoon, prosecutors stated that Watkins and the victim, who was described as a minor, knew each other.
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Todd Rutherford, Watkins’ attorney, told WLTX on Saturday night that he and his client are begging the public for patience.
“We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding,” Rutherford told the crowd. “What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone.”
According to Richland County online judicial records, Watkins was granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bail. She was ordered not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim.
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Watkins was ordered to keep 1,000 feet from the victim’s home, workplace, school, and place of worship. She would be allowed to go out of the state for basketball games and practices.
She is expected to appear in court on October 25.
Watkins, a rising 6-foot-3 junior, averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Gamecocks last season, helping them go 38-0 and become the first unbeaten national champs since 2016. Watkins also led the team in blocks, with 91.
She was the first athlete in program history to dunk in a game during her freshman year, and she added a second one last season.