University Of Pennsylvania Football Player Facing Charges
By Walt Hunter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A wide receiver on the University of Pennsylvania football team now faces criminal charges for allegedly punching a fellow student, who is a member of another Penn sports team, during an altercation on a street, two blocks off-campus early on the morning of September 28.
Penn officials confirm 20-year-old Cameron Countryman, a junior, is charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Countryman surrendered with his attorney Tuesday morning at Southwest Detective Division and was later released following arraignment at which he was permitted to sign his own bail.
Police reports claim the incident began when another Penn student began shouting at Countryman as he walked down the street around 2 a.m., then yelled racial slurs and shoved him. The reports allege when a third student, who is a member of another Penn team, and who did not yell any racial slurs, attempted to intervene, he was punched in the face by Countryman and knocked to the ground.
Treated for an injury to his eye orbit, the alleged victim was later treated and released from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
In response to CBS 3 inquiries, Penn officials emailed a statement that reads, in part, "there was an off-campus incident involving two male students. Cameron Countryman, a student athlete on the football team was charged with simple assault and reckless endangerment of another person (REAP). He has been suspended from the team until this matter is adjudicated by the Criminal Justice system and the University's student disciplinary process has concluded."
Countryman told CBS 3's Walt Hunter he did not wish to comment on the charges or any of the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Countryman's attorney also declined comment.
Sources say the University is also closely examining the actions of the student who allegedly shouted the racial slurs at Countryman.
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