Updated 2:54 p.m.: Not Guilty Plea
Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sodomy.
He pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.
University police allege that the incident took place early Sunday morning in a private student apartment complex adjacent to the Belknap campus. Both victims came forward and filed charges this week.
Two other men were also charged. Both defendants—Jalen Tilford, 21, and Tyvon Julah Walker, 19—were charged with first-degree rape. Neither were U of L students.
Jones, 23, turned himself in to police Thursday morning and soon after appeared before Jefferson District Court judge. He was later released to home incarceration. Tilford and Walker also pleadednot guilty—Tilford's bond was set at $100,000 and Walker's bond was set at $75,000. granted home incarceration.
Lt. Col. Kenny Brown of university police told reporters during a press conference Thursday that Jones was not getting any special treatment.
“We take each case and treat each case for what it is,” he said. “If it’s an investigation, we try to be as fair and [im]partial to all parties in the case.”
Kenny Klein, a spokesman for University of Louisville athletics, said in a written statement that Jones was “immediately dismissed from the team” when news of the charges was brought to the university’s attention Sunday afternoon.
Brown said that the school was assisting in the on-going investigation.
“The university takes these types of allegations very seriously and we are committed to conducting a very thorough investigation concerning these allegations,” Brown said.
Just a week ago, Jones had been suspended from the basketball team but was quickly readmitted.
In his statement, Klein said:
UofL Dean of Students Michael Mardis said Jones was not removed from campus when this first incident took place. But he said the university could have if they thought Jones was a threat.
“The university has protocols in place that if we believe somebody is an immediate threat of harm to others we can take interim administrative action,” he said.
Mardis said university officials did not exercise its right to remove Jones from campus after the incident on Feb. 17.
University police said Jones has been cooperating with officials throughout the investigation.
Earlier: Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones has been charged with rape and sodomy, The Courier-Journal reports.
The newspaper reports that a warrant was issued Wednesday for Jones, who was kicked off the team Sunday. The crimes, involving two women, allegedly occurred Saturday night, after Jones led U of L to victory over Miami.
Jones had just been reinstated after being suspended earlier in the week for a violation of team rules.
He’s expected to appear in court Thursday morning.
—Staff
