Three University of New Hampshire football players have been suspended from the team following their arrests on felony riot charges.
According to the New York Post, they were arrested due to a “Purge”-style riot at a fraternity party. Charges were filed on Friday, February 1st.
What Happened?
Charges were filed against the University of New Hampshire athletes following a brawl at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house in Durham. The brawl reportedly involved masks from “The Purge” movie, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
The suspects were identified as linebackers Quinlan Dean and Kyle Hamper, along with running back Jackson Housman.
Dean, 21, Hamper, 20, and Housman, 20, all face a Class B felony carrying a possible sentence of three and a half to seven years in prison if convicted.
The three were released on personal recognizance bail and are scheduled to be arraigned at Strafford County Superior Court on February 14.
Durham Deputy Police Chief Rene Kelley said the incident at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity took place on January 26, 2019. He said he was not yet ready to reveal which of the three men arrested was responsible for starting the incident.
Kelley said an officer on patrol noticed “a large disturbance” between midnight and 1 A.M.
“She called for additional units and they went to SAE,” Kelley said. “What we have learned is that there was a party at the fraternity and one man had been asked to leave. He apparently returned with a large group of people. They forced their way into the house and engaged in a fight with some of the brothers from the fraternity. There were some assaults.”
He said nobody from the fraternity has yet been arrested for their involvement in the brawl.
Authorities said they are reviewing footage of the incident and it is still under investigation.
Who Are The Suspects?
The three players suspended from the University of New Hampshire football team are 21-year-old Quinlan Dean, 20-year-old Kyle Hamper, and 20-year-old Jackson Housman.
Dean has been a standout member of the UNH team’s defense. According to Foster’s Daily Democrat, the junior linebacker tied for the team lead with 79 tackles during the 2018 season. He was named to the all-Colonial Athletic Association second team for the second straight season.
Hamper, a freshman, played 10 games at a linebacker in 2018
Housman, a sophomore running back, played in one game in 2018 after playing in four games as a freshman.