? Arkansas State?s Adrian Banks has been suspended indefinitely from the ASU basketball team after he was arrested early Sunday morning for discharging several rounds from a 9-millimeter handgun within city limits while riding in a moving vehicle.
Banks, the Indians? leading scorer and a preseason candidate for numerous awards, was arrested at 2:35 a.m. by Jonesboro police officer Chad Elrod for discharging firearms within city limits according to a JPD report. Banks did not make ASU?s scheduled trip to Chicago on Sunday for this evening?s matchup with Big Ten member Northwestern, and his future remains uncertain according to a university release.
According to JPD officer Adam Williams? narrative from the report, he and officer Elrod were parked in a lot near Envisions Nightclub on Johnson Avenue when they observed a black Chevrolet Avalanche pull out of the club parking lot and proceed east on Johnson Avenue.
?As the vehicle proceeded east bound, passing directly by our location, I heard one gunshot fired from the vehicle followed by a succession of five to six shots,? Williams wrote.
Elrod, Williams and officer Anthony Zaffarano conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle, which included Banks and four other passengers ? all of whom were Arkansas State athletes, according to Zaffarano?s statement. None of the other athletes were identified in the report.
The occupants told Zaffarano ?Yes, we heard the gun shots,? but said ?No? when asked if there was a gun in the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, officer Williams found a 9-millimeter handgun under the back seat, at which time Banks stated the gun had ?nothing to do with the other occupants.?
According to Zaffarano, Banks explained that he had fired the gun, quoting Banks in the report as saying ?A fight was breaking out at the club, I found the gun on the ground and didn?t want anyone to get shot, so I shot the gun until it was empty.?
Envisions Nightclub owner Reginald Prunty disputed certain parts of the police report.
Prunty said his club closes at 2 a.m. and he and his employees begin escorting patrons outside at 1:45 a.m. By 2 a.m. the club was closed, no fights had occurred and his building and parking lot were clear.
?There was no fight at the club,? Prunty said. ?If there would have been fighting, I would have called Jonesboro PD myself because I don?t play around. As a matter of fact, we had a toast afterward that it was a great night, there were no fights and no arguments. He lied.?
Reached at his residence Sunday evening, Banks apologized for the incident, saying it was poor judgment on his part. Banks added that he fired the gun straight up in a manner to avoid incident rather than create one.
?I just really want to say that what happened last night was a stupid incident, it was a mistake,? Banks said. ?It was nothing like I was out there shooting at someone or anything. It wasn?t my weapon or anything. I just found the gun, and I was really trying to protect my teammates from anything happening. It wasn?t like I was shooting at someone or was involved in anything. That?s pretty much the way it was. I just want to apologize to my school, my coaches and my parents and everyone involved.?
Officer Williams? interpretation of the incident was that Banks fired the gun up in the air, and not in a manner directed at anyone or anything.
?The gun was just shot in the air,? Williams said Sunday night. ?They weren?t firing at anybody or anything ? definitely not.?
Arkansas State issued a press release Sunday evening stating Banks had been suspended indefinitely and his status for future games ?is yet to be determined.?
ASU coach Dickey Nutt did not return phone calls or messages from The Sun requesting comment. Nutt released one comment through the Arkansas State sports information department.
?Our policies concerning violations of team rules have never changed, regardless of a player?s role on our team or how good they are,? Nutt said in the statement. ?We have team rules in place that apply to everyone on the team, and if those rules are broken we will gather all the facts surrounding the violation and then move forward accordingly, which is what we are doing here.?
Prunty wanted to make sure the public understood the incident did not take part at his establishment.
?We closed at 2 a.m., and once we close we put everybody out,? Prunty said. ?The gun could not have been in the club. We have metal detectors. Nothing like that takes place in the club. I?m always there and I didn?t hear any gunshots. Nobody even mentioned any gunshots. He had to be down past Culberhouse when he did it. A lot of them cats, they act crazy like that, but I don?t even know him. I wouldn?t know him if he was there.?
Banks said he will meet today with administrators from the ASU athletic department. Banks was not sure how long he will be suspended or if he will be allowed to return to the team at all.
?I?m meeting with the dean tomorrow to find out what kind of action will be taken or placed upon me,? Banks said. ?Right now I have no idea. I meet with the dean tomorrow around noon. I will be in a better position to talk about things then.?
Banks is scheduled to appear before Craighead County District Judge Keith Blackman at 1 p.m. on Dec. 10.
Banks, the Indians? leading scorer and a preseason candidate for numerous awards, was arrested at 2:35 a.m. by Jonesboro police officer Chad Elrod for discharging firearms within city limits according to a JPD report. Banks did not make ASU?s scheduled trip to Chicago on Sunday for this evening?s matchup with Big Ten member Northwestern, and his future remains uncertain according to a university release.
According to JPD officer Adam Williams? narrative from the report, he and officer Elrod were parked in a lot near Envisions Nightclub on Johnson Avenue when they observed a black Chevrolet Avalanche pull out of the club parking lot and proceed east on Johnson Avenue.
?As the vehicle proceeded east bound, passing directly by our location, I heard one gunshot fired from the vehicle followed by a succession of five to six shots,? Williams wrote.
Elrod, Williams and officer Anthony Zaffarano conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle, which included Banks and four other passengers ? all of whom were Arkansas State athletes, according to Zaffarano?s statement. None of the other athletes were identified in the report.
The occupants told Zaffarano ?Yes, we heard the gun shots,? but said ?No? when asked if there was a gun in the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, officer Williams found a 9-millimeter handgun under the back seat, at which time Banks stated the gun had ?nothing to do with the other occupants.?
According to Zaffarano, Banks explained that he had fired the gun, quoting Banks in the report as saying ?A fight was breaking out at the club, I found the gun on the ground and didn?t want anyone to get shot, so I shot the gun until it was empty.?
Envisions Nightclub owner Reginald Prunty disputed certain parts of the police report.
Prunty said his club closes at 2 a.m. and he and his employees begin escorting patrons outside at 1:45 a.m. By 2 a.m. the club was closed, no fights had occurred and his building and parking lot were clear.
?There was no fight at the club,? Prunty said. ?If there would have been fighting, I would have called Jonesboro PD myself because I don?t play around. As a matter of fact, we had a toast afterward that it was a great night, there were no fights and no arguments. He lied.?
Reached at his residence Sunday evening, Banks apologized for the incident, saying it was poor judgment on his part. Banks added that he fired the gun straight up in a manner to avoid incident rather than create one.
?I just really want to say that what happened last night was a stupid incident, it was a mistake,? Banks said. ?It was nothing like I was out there shooting at someone or anything. It wasn?t my weapon or anything. I just found the gun, and I was really trying to protect my teammates from anything happening. It wasn?t like I was shooting at someone or was involved in anything. That?s pretty much the way it was. I just want to apologize to my school, my coaches and my parents and everyone involved.?
Officer Williams? interpretation of the incident was that Banks fired the gun up in the air, and not in a manner directed at anyone or anything.
?The gun was just shot in the air,? Williams said Sunday night. ?They weren?t firing at anybody or anything ? definitely not.?
Arkansas State issued a press release Sunday evening stating Banks had been suspended indefinitely and his status for future games ?is yet to be determined.?
ASU coach Dickey Nutt did not return phone calls or messages from The Sun requesting comment. Nutt released one comment through the Arkansas State sports information department.
?Our policies concerning violations of team rules have never changed, regardless of a player?s role on our team or how good they are,? Nutt said in the statement. ?We have team rules in place that apply to everyone on the team, and if those rules are broken we will gather all the facts surrounding the violation and then move forward accordingly, which is what we are doing here.?
Prunty wanted to make sure the public understood the incident did not take part at his establishment.
?We closed at 2 a.m., and once we close we put everybody out,? Prunty said. ?The gun could not have been in the club. We have metal detectors. Nothing like that takes place in the club. I?m always there and I didn?t hear any gunshots. Nobody even mentioned any gunshots. He had to be down past Culberhouse when he did it. A lot of them cats, they act crazy like that, but I don?t even know him. I wouldn?t know him if he was there.?
Banks said he will meet today with administrators from the ASU athletic department. Banks was not sure how long he will be suspended or if he will be allowed to return to the team at all.
?I?m meeting with the dean tomorrow to find out what kind of action will be taken or placed upon me,? Banks said. ?Right now I have no idea. I meet with the dean tomorrow around noon. I will be in a better position to talk about things then.?
Banks is scheduled to appear before Craighead County District Judge Keith Blackman at 1 p.m. on Dec. 10.
