|
PRINT
THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE
Thursday, November 19, 1998
Hampton basketball coach denies scam
By SONJA BARISIC Associated Press Writer
HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - The women's basketball coach at Hampton
University said today she was falsely accused and humiliated when
police arrested her for an alleged con game during the team's
trip to Lubbock, Texas.
Patricia Bibbs, her husband, Ezell, and assistant coach Vanetta
Kelso were arrested Tuesday after a woman claimed they had tried
to con her out of cash in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
Hampton's game with No. 12 Texas Tech scheduled for Tuesday
night was canceled.
During a news conference, Bibbs, her husband and her assistant,
all of whom are black, said in response to questions they believe
race played a role in their arrests. They denied any involvement
in a scam.
"I was handcuffed. My rights were not read," said
Bibbs, adding none of the police officers she saw were black.
She said the ordeal scared and humiliated her.
"It's demoralizing. It's embarrassing to be falsely accused.
I've seen it. I've read about it. No one knows until you experience
it," she said.
William Harvey, president of the predominantly black university,
said the school has contacted two lawyers.
"No one in this country ought to be faced with this kind
of degradation or harassment," Harvey said.
Authorities are still deciding whether to file charges. Lubbock
Police Chief Ken Walker said today the circumstances around the
arrest will be investigated.
"We're looking into the incident to see if this was a
case of mistaken identity or not, but we clearly had a victim
transported to the scene that said that without a doubt those
were the people involved," Walker said.
Walker said the scam was one of the "oldest cons in the
book."
"We call it the pigeon drop," he said. "Typically
the victim of the pigeon drop is elderly. Someone will come up
to the victim in a parking lot, telling them they've found a purse
with a lot of money. Through some sort of long complicated story,
the con artist convinces the person to put up money ... to retain
a lawyer so that they can both lay claim to the money. Of course,
the victim never sees the money or the suspect again."
Walker said that after the alleged victim was approached by
one of the suspects, she left the Wal-Mart parking lot and called
police. The victim was brought to the scene of the arrests, where
she identified the suspects, he said.
The Bibbses and Kelso said today that they had gone to Wal-Mart
to buy supplies for the team and some personal items.
According to their account, Ezell Bibbs was still in the store
when a police officer approached the women, who were sitting in
a rental van. The officer asked them if they had reported finding
a black bag or purse. They told him they had not and the officer
left.
A police car followed them to their hotel, where they were
arrested. Kelso, who is pregnant, said she vomited as she sat
in the squad car because she could not breathe properly.
The game was canceled because the coaches and team weren't
physically or emotionally prepared, said Dennis Thomas, Hampton's
athletic director.
Texas Tech spokesman Richard Kilwien said both schools agreed
to void the game from the schedule. It will count neither as a
loss for Hampton nor as a victory for Tech, and it will not be
rescheduled.
Hampton is a private four-year university. Booker T. Washington
is one of the school's most famous alumni.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address)
of This Story to A Friend:
|
