After a crushing 50-20 loss to Feather River College in Quincy, the Yuba College football team was dealt another blow far greater than any loss could give them.
Standout cornerback Edd Johnson was stabbed Friday, September 30, in an afternoon locker room brawl after practice.
According to the Appeal Democrat, Rafael McKinstry, a fellow teammate and cornerback, stabbed Johnson with a pocket knife to the abdominal area around 4:20 p.m..
McKinstry was soon held in conjunction with campus police until the Yuba County Sheriffs Department took over the investigation.
The Yuba College District Police Department is usually the primary authority on the campus except when acts of violent crimes coincide with the Kristin Smart Campus Safety Act of 1998 which states crimes of willful homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault are to be handled by the Yuba County Sheriffs Department, which takes over the investigation.
In this case, the Yuba College District Police Department is helping the Yuba County Sheriffs Department with its investigation into the incident.
The cause of the fight has yet to be determined since the skirmish is still under investigation.
The academic punishment that McKinstry faces is still uncertain, yet there are violations in the student code of conduct that can lead to expulsion. McKinstry was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon by the Sheriff Department.
Johnson was transported to Rideout Memorial Hospital where he is recovering well, according to Yuba College Campus Police Chief Christopher Wilkinson.
“Edd (Johnson) is recovering just fine and should be out of the hospital within a few days,” Chief Wilkinson said.
The next day after the stabbing, Yuba College Head Coach Ted Hoal cancelled the days’ game against Butte College. A meeting was held that afternoon instead, where the team was consulted with a post-traumatic expert to help alleviate any distress from the ordeal.
“It shows that a life is more important than a game,” Chief Wilkinson said.
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