“She (a witness) observed Josh Johns as being one of the people who attacked Lowery,” the report said. “She advises that approximately five more suspects joined in on the attack of Lowery and that she believes that all were LSU football players because some she recognized as being on the team. The others were were wearing official LSU football shirts and she could identify them through pictures if needed.”
The report includes an interview with Lowery, who says he “observed several suspects that he believed were LSU football players (approximately 10-15 people) pull an unknown white male out of a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.”
The report said Lowery “advises that the crowd began to severely beat the unknown white male.”
Of the four people that went to a hospital after the fight and were soon released, one has three fractured vertebrae and another has bruises on his face and hands, possibly from self defense, Baton Rouge Chief of Police Dewayne White said.
LSU opens the season Sept. 3 against No. 3 Oregon in Arlington, Texas.
The shoes taken from Jefferson’s apartment included the ones he was wearing at the time of the search.
“During the execution of the search warrant at the home of Jordan Jefferson, police seized 49 pairs of (athletic) shoes, including the ones he was wearing at the time,” police spokesman Don Stone said Thursday morning. “At this time, Baton Rouge Police are not going to release the details as to why the shoes were removed from the home.”
No arrests have been made. A video of a small portion of the fight has surfaced on the website a Baton Rouge AM radio station, 1210 The Score, but police have said it is inconclusive.
According to an Associated Press report, two employees of the bar said one of the victims “threw the first punch” shortly after being escorted outside. Shady’s Bar general manager John Peak and door manager Jordan Neldare said Lowery was asked to leave around 1:30 a.m. when he appeared to be harassing a young woman.
Neldare also contradicted Lowery’s version of events, saying the latter was already involved in the fighting when the truck pulled up to the melee.
Neldare said he had gotten a good look at the beginning of the fight after jumping in the back of a co-worker’s pickup truck to get a better view, but his attention was diverted when he saw a fellow employee walking toward the fracas.
Neldare said he ran to the co-worker and corralled him away from the brawl, back toward the bar entrance, where he then noticed Jefferson, standing by himself and looking upset while the fight was still taking place.
“I’m not saying (Jefferson) wasn’t in the fight. I’m not saying he was, but I did see him standing alone while stuff was still going on,” Neldare said.
