Corvallis police say that the three OSU Baseball players-- John Wallace, Anton Maxwell, and Jorge Reyes-- were involved in fired .22-caliber rifle bullets into a neighbor's house - one into a bedroom - during some late-night target shooting on March 18. The bullets also struck a car parked behind that house in a neighborhood north of campus.
Wednesday, Cliff Kirkpatrick broke the news that Wallace and Maxwell will serve 15 days in jail. Reyes also has been charged and is expected to enter into a plea agreement at his next court appearance on Aug. 26.
Two people were in the house when it was struck by bullets, but neither was injured.
While 15 days in jail for firing a gun may seem harsh, just think of what could have happened if the people in that house would have been struck by a stray bullet. I'm sure the three have learned their lesson from the incident, but if not, they definitely will in their two weeks behind bars.
From Michael Collins' article in the Gazette-Times:In
In addition to jail time, Wallace and Maxwell will be on probation for a year and must serve 20 hours of community service by Nov. 30. They also must attend a firearms safety class.
Defense attorneys John Rich and Kirk Tibbetts both described their clients as good citizens who made an error in judgment.
District Attorney John Haroldson agreed with Rich and Tibbetts' characterization of Wallace and Maxwell and said they were both very cooperative, willing to take responsibility, and they did not intend to shoot the house. But he added that the seriousness of the potential for injury - or worse - made this a crime that calls for a jail sentence.
Judge Locke Williams will allow both to serve their sentences in two time periods. They were ordered to report to the Benton County Jail on Wednesday through July 21, and then would be released until July 25, when they will return and serve the remainder of their sentences.
The request to break up the jail sentence, agreed upon by attorneys, was granted due to scheduling conflicts Williams deemed to be appropriate.
Wallace is playing baseball with the Corvallis Knights, an activity his attorney, John Rich, called "a productive thing." Maxwell's attorney, Kirk Tibbetts, said Maxwell has returned to school and is working for his landlord after an injury sidelined his baseball career.
Both Wallace and Maxwell apologized to the court for their part in the incident.
Again, you can read Kirkparick's blog entry or Collins' article for more information.
--JB--