Football player charged with assault on National Guard officer
Sunday, November 14, 2004

An Oregon State football player has been charged with assaulting an Oregon National Guard soldier after a fight resulting from racial comments about the soldier and his wife.

Joseph Rudulph, 19, a freshman from Sacramento, Calif., was arrested Friday after the confrontation early Friday morning at the Headline Caf De in downtown Corvallis.

Staff Sgt. Gabriel Sapp was dancing with his wife at the restaurant when they were approached by a group of black men, identified as Oregon State football players. The men began making comments to Sapp's wife, who is also black, about her relationship with her husband, who is white, according to Corvallis police Capt. Jon Sassaman.

"At some point, his wife was targeted with comments about why she was with a white male," Sassaman said. "This escalated into an argument that led outside."

According to witnesses, a large crowd gathered around the couple during the argument. Sapp was punched in the face and was knocked unconscious when he hit the ground. His wife was also knocked to the ground when Sapp was struck.

Witnesses identified the attacker as Rudulph. The men fled the scene shortly before Sapp's wife flagged down a passing police car. After gathering statements, police tracked down Rudulph at his residence. Sassaman said Rudulph admitted hitting Sapp, but claimed he was reacting to racial comments by Sapp.

hat tip to The Colorblind Society