Following a scary incident on Saturday, South Carolina women’s basketball star center Ashlyn Watkins was arrested on some disturbing charges. She was charged with first-degree assault and battery, as well as kidnapping.
The events took place on the campus of South Carolina, according to court records. The victim of Watkins was said to be a minor and the two knew each other.
Under the warrant issued by the University of South Carolina police, the incident occurred at one of the student housing centers. Watkins allegedly assaulted the individual by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and then pushing her.”
Watkins then picked the victim up and carried her against her will. The individual then had her head allegedly grabbed by Watkins, who proceeded to force her to walk down a hallway, controlling her movement by preventing her from leaving the area.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The individual escaped and pulled a fire alarm, according to the report from the campus police. They were then treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Following the news release, the attorney of Watkins, Todd Rutherford, released a statement on Saturday night asking for patience from the public on the matter.
“We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding,” Rutherford said. “What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone.”
Watkins was released on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond and is scheduled to be in court on Oct. 25. A spokesperson for South Carolina released a statement to ESPN: “We are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information.”
The South Carolina star is permitted to travel out of the state for basketball games and practices. She was ordered to stay 1,000 feet from the victim’s work, school, and home.
Watkins is entering her junior year and has been slated to take over the starting center spot since Kamilla Cardoso left for the WNBA. She averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season for the Gamecocks.
Her ability on the defensive end of the floor has given South Carolina a boost as she led the team with 91 blocks last season. She helped them go undefeated and ultimately win the national championship.
Watkins was the first player in South California program history to dunk in a game. This came during her freshman season; she also dunked last year as well.
