COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Ashlyn Watkins, a forward for the University of South Carolina’s (USC) women’s basketball team, has been charged with assault and kidnapping.
Watkins was arrested by campus police on Saturday, Aug. 31 after an incident at an on-campus affiliated apartment complex at 650 Lincoln Street.
According to an arrest warrant, Watkins assaulted the victim, who was not named, by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her.”
The arrest warrant went on to say Watkins also picked up and carried the victim against her will, grabbed her head, and forced her to walk down the hall “thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.”
The victim — who was treated for non-life threatening injuries by EMS — was able to run away and pulled a fire alarm, causing first responders to report, the arrest warrant stated.
Video surveillance captured the incident, the arrest warrant added.
Watkins was granted on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond, court records shows.
According to public index records, conditions of her bond include:
- No direct or indirect contact with the victim
- Stay 1,000 yards away from the victim’s home, work, school and place of worship
Watkins does have permission to travel out of state for games and practice, the records stated.
She has a court appearance scheduled for Oct. 25.
“We are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information,” a spokesperson for USC said.
Watkins, a junior at USC, was a pivotal piece during the Gamecocks’ undefeated championship season.
As a Columbia native who attended Cardinal Newman, the forward was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 before committing to the Gamecocks.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
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