Keenan Hall resident claims he brandished knife in self-defense
SCOTT BRODFUEHRER
Assistant News Editor
The suspect in Saturday morning's alleged assault contested the alleged victim's account of the story Wednesday and claimed he brandished his knife in self-defense after the victim tackled him.
The Notre Dame Security/Police Department is investigating the incident that allegedly took place at 1:25 a.m. in a hallway of the fourth-floor of Keenan Hall.
In an interview with The Observer Tuesday, the alleged victim, a St. Edward's Hall resident, said that he left his friends' Keenan Hall room to pick up a pizza. He said he was walking down the hall when the suspect, who lives in the Keenan room he was visiting, threw a football at him and then tried to tackle him. The alleged victim then said he "tried to just hold [the suspect] without any other scuffle."
After he released the suspect, the alleged victim said the suspect displayed a butterfly knife and moved towards him. The man said he backed away from the suspect into radiator at the end of the hallway. At that time, the alleged victim said he tried to diffuse the situation and the suspect eventually went into a room.
But Wednesday night, the suspect told The Observer that the alleged victim threw the football at him first and then he threw it back. He said that the alleged victim then tackled him.
"He was kind of sitting on me, and I couldn't breathe. I showed him the knife because he was a lot bigger than me and I didn't want to end up in the infirmary," said the suspect.
The suspect said that police officers and his rector spoke to him later that night in his RA's room. He said that he was brought to the Security Building and registered a .00 on a Breathalyzer test but did not make a statement at that time.
The alleged victim disagreed with the alleged suspect's account of the incident.
"All I have to say is that [his account of the incident] is a surprise to me and I have lots of witnesses who will tell otherwise [and confirm my account of the incident]," the victim said.
On Tuesday, NDSP Assistant Director Charles Hurley said the suspect threatened the alleged victim while holding a weapon, which the alleged victim identified as a butterfly knife.
"Apparently, there was a statement made [by the suspect] that made the victim feel like there would be physical violence. There was contact between the suspect and the victim and a weapon was seen in the hands of the suspect," said Hurley.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 25, 2002
