Beating suspects' smiling mugshots shock Ole Miss community
Police have arrested five University of Mississippi students for their alleged involvement in the late night beating of another student on Oct. 6.
A university police report alleges that the five students beat Jeremy Boyle, a junior accounting major, at the Sigma Pi fraternity house in an apparent act of hazing.
that Mr. Boyle suffered a concussion, several broken teeth, a lung contusion, and a ruptured eardrum.
鈥淚t was shocking,鈥� Brian Boyle, victim Jeremy Boyle鈥檚 father, told the student newspaper. 鈥淭here is a different culture in the South. People have good behavior. It鈥檚 not something you would have expected. Especially at Ole Miss.鈥�
Tucker Cole Steil, a freshman member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, was charged last Friday with felony assault in the beating of Boyle. He posted $10,000 bail and was released from jail on Monday.
The four other freshmen allegedly involved in the beating were charged with misdemeanors and released. James Declan Basile was charged with simple assault, hazing, and theft, while 海角大神 Guy, Kyle Hughes, and Austin Rice were each charged with theft. It is unclear whether any of them besides Mr. Steil are members of a fraternity.
In their arrest photos, all but Steil are shown smiling, drawing widespread outrage from the university community.
"It's just disgusting," Ole Miss student told WHBQ-TV.聽"How could you be happy?"
that while hazing is a misdemeanor in the聽criminal world, it can be a much more serious offense at Ole Miss. The university has a zero tolerance policy for such occurrences, which can lead to a student鈥檚 expulsion. The police report indicates that the students were referred to the university's Judicial Council for discipline.
It remains unclear why the beating was considered hazing or what the students allegedly stole. University police Capt. Jane Tutor told the Associated Press that an investigation is underway and that more information may be available when it鈥檚 complete.
"The safety and welfare of our students are among our highest priorities. Upon learning of the incident, the University Police Department immediately initiated an investigation that led to recent criminal charges and related student conduct proceedings," Ole Miss spokesman Danny Blanton told the AP. "As one of the safest campuses in the country, we are committed to holding students responsible for their behavior."
This report includes material from the Associated Press.
