Six arrested in connection with Jan. 18 court-clearing fight at CCHS basketball game
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Six individuals were arrested and three juveniles detained and released to their parents on Friday and Saturday, after Copperas Cove police investigated a fight which broke out toward the end of last Tuesday evening’s Copperas Cove boys’ varsity basketball home game against Harker Heights.
Christopher Jermaine Pullen Jr, Devon Keon Seda, Dequan Savalas Seda, Terrance Lavar Carter Jr, Jerry Lewis Thomas, and Aidan Ali Nageeullah were all arrested for riot participation, with an additional three juveniles detained by police for the same complaint and released to their parents.
Three of those arrested were basketball players, to include Carter and Thomas for Harker Heights, and Dequan Seda for Copperas Cove.
The “riot” broke out on Tuesday after a foul play occurred, according to arrest affidavits for each of the six arrested.
The arrest complaints state that as tensions between teams and supporters elevated, verbal altercations began between players, and the arguing quickly turn physical as a “horde” of team members and supporters stormed the basketball court, shoving each other. After that, the shoving changed to players and fans punching each other.
The fight then moved to the hallway, where a person was injured due to the crowd’s actions, police stated.
It was not until school officials, parents, and Coryell County deputies began to intervened that the crowd dispersed and stopped fighting.
According to CCISD’s Director of Communications, Wendy Sledd, the misconduct at the varsity boys basketball game resulted in two Copperas Cove players being suspended for the remainder of the season and four Copperas Cove players suspended for one game.
Taina Naya, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer for KISD, confirmed that two of its district athletes have been suspended from the basketball program for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year and 11 athletes were suspended for last Friday’s game.
"All students identified as partaking in the event will be held accountable according to the KISD Student Code of Conduct and appropriate consequences determined by the Harker Heights High School administration to include suspension from school and discipline hearing for possible placement at DAEP."
Last Tuesday evening’s game was canceled with 4:49 left on the clock, with Harker Heights declared the winner with a 64-39 final score.
In Texas, rioting is listed as a Class B misdemeanor, and those convicted of a riot-related offense can face up to 180 days in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.