No arrests after LSU players meet with police

BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson and three teammates met several hours with police on Tuesday to discuss a bar fight that allegedly involved them, then left without any arrests being made or charges filed.

Offensive lineman Chris Davenport and linebacker Josh Johns were the first to leave. Jefferson and receiver Jarvis Landry left nearly an hour later.

Authorities say four people were injured in the fight last Thursday night, and that one person’s injuries were serious enough that two unspecified players could be arrested on felony battery charges.

The four players have hired defense attorney Nathan Fisher, who also attended the meetings with police but declined to be interviewed as he walked to his car afterward.

Investigators initially asked the players to come to police headquarters on Monday morning, but that was delayed after the players hired Fisher, a defense attorney known for representing LSU players in the past.

Stone has stressed that Police Chief Dewayne White is not giving LSU players any special treatment and the investigation would continue regardless of how much cooperation they received from the players.

Witnesses have described one of the victims being kicked in the head while lying on the ground, Stone said. He has declined to specify who did the kicking or who got kicked.

University officials are not allowing media to speak with players who have been named in the investigation. Players who did talk to reporters after practice Monday evening were instructed not to answer any questions about their memories of what happened at the bar on the edge of campus.

The players were out after a curfew imposed by the coaching staff when the fight took place. However, LSU athletics spokesman Michael Bonnette said players traditionally conclude fall camp, which this year ended last Thursday, by socializing together after curfew. Bonnette said that tradition has spanned the tenures of a number of coaches.

Nonetheless, coach Les Miles has said the allegations surrounding the fight have made him “miserable,” and the entire team has been punished with additional conditioning during practice, such as running. Miles, who has spoken with White about the matter, has said more punishment would be forthcoming as more details of the investigation were revealed.

The fourth-ranked Tigers open the season against No. 3 Oregon on Sept. 3 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Davenport, Johns and Landry are reserves who were not expected to play much in the opener.

Jefferson was expected to start, but if he cannot play, fellow senior Jarrett Lee would be the likely starter behind center, with junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger next in line.

As of Monday night, though, no players had been suspended and Jefferson continued practicing with the first-team offense.

Stone has said the four named LSU players are currently the only people of interest in the case, but added that investigators are still interviewing witnesses and that more players could have been involved. Authorities have obtained security video from a business neighboring the bar, which is in a strip mall just south of campus. Stone declined to talk about what the video shows.

Police are aware of only four alleged victims whose names they have not released. The four were treated at a hospital and released. Three had minor injuries and a fourth had the more serious injury that would warrant the second-degree battery charges, Stone said.

The victims have hired an attorney, Michael Bienvenue, and have indicated they want to press charges, Stone said.

Bienvenue said he does not want to comment while the investigation is ongoing.