McDaniel claims he's innocent
Attorney: Witnesses tell an entirely different story
Provided
McDaniel
CLEMSON — An attorney representing DeAndre McDaniel said three witnesses have come forward to refute allegations by a woman who has accused McDaniel of choking her, punching her and shoving her down a flight of stairs.
Chris Olson, of Olson, Smith, Jordan and Cox, P.A., in Clemson, said Wednesday that the statements from the witnesses provide strong evidence that claims made by McDaniel's girlfriend are overblown.
McDaniel, a sophomore defensive back on Clemson's football team, was arrested Saturday on charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. McDaniel's girlfriend alleged McDaniel assaulted her at his off-campus apartment Saturday morning and caused injuries that included a neck sprain and bruises on the face and chest.
Olson said the witnesses have provided statements to his firm and to Clemson University, which is determining what disciplinary action to take against McDaniel, 20. Tigers coach Tommy Bowden is in fact-gathering mode, a team spokesman said earlier this week.
Olson said two of the witnesses were in McDaniel's apartment when the incident occurred, and another lives beside McDaniel.
"The witnesses tell an entirely different story of what happened," Olson said.
Olson said no one witnessed what occurred in McDaniel's bedroom, which is where his girlfriend alleges he choked her with a comforter after she "pushed his head," according to a report released by the Central Police Department.
The 19-year-old woman, who was unidentified in the report, claimed McDaniel shoved her down a flight of stairs before punching her in the chest outside the apartment as she was going to her car.
Olson said one of the witnesses saw McDaniel carrying his girlfriend down the stairs of the two-floor apartment after she refused to leave. Olson said McDaniel claims his girlfriend hit him "a couple of times."
"He was trying to get her out of his apartment," Olson said. "If someone attacks you in your dwelling, you have a right to remove them."
Olson said McDaniel's neighbor, who was awakened by the incident, stated that she did not see McDaniel punch his girlfriend outside the apartment.
According to the police report, McDaniel's girlfriend was treated at Oconee Memorial Hospital for a cervical sprain, soft tissue contusion, facial contusion and a chest wall contusion.
If convicted, McDaniel could face up to 10 years in prison. Olson said the next step is a preliminary hearing, which would likely occur in July or August.
"(DeAndre) claims he's innocent," Olson said. "I'm confident the facts will show he's not guilty of what he's charged with."
Olson said McDaniel has a hearing next week with the university.
Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/
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Comments
SeaSaw (anonymous) says...
As the saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Looks like this young lady is going straight for the jugular. And no, I'm not a guy. I'm a woman that calls it like I see it.
June 26, 2008 at 4:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tellthetruth (anonymous) says...
A Clemson athelete in trouble with the law? Could'nt be! No leadership , no disipline!
June 26, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
The seriousness of these allegations created a furor---understandably---but, lest we all forget the Duke Lacrosse team case, jumping to conclusions should probably be avoided until all the facts are in and the investigation concluded.
June 26, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
k5 (anonymous) says...
tellthetruth: you must live in a glass house to be so judgemental! You'd be surprised to what length some girls would go to to get noticed and to stay around with some of those "Clemson" athletes!
June 26, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chanticleer (anonymous) says...
Nobody wanted to listen to me on Tuesday when all this first came out, everyone wanted this guy sent to prison...
"Posted by Chanticleer on June 24, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
By reading these comments, I guess he has already been convicted of this crime. Just like the Duke lacrosse players were guilty....oh wait. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? If its true, then he should be kicked out of school, but perhaps we should let him defend himself first...just a thought though."
June 26, 2008 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigriver1 (anonymous) says...
I can believe this side of the story, after all Clemson is not thug u, that title belongs entirely to sc. How many arrests at sc since wonder stevie came to town ? All those parents would not be sending all those 4-5 star recruits to Clemson if they did not trust Tommy Bowdens judgement. 17-24, sc record against DUKE in FOOTBALL!
June 26, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
notafan (anonymous) says...
ahhhh bigriver with one of his same old tired uneducated, unimformed comments. He must have been in the apartment and saw everything that happened.
Yes Carolina has thugs but when they get in fights at least it is with men, not girls.
And if the person in the next apartment was sleeping at the time how do they know what happened before they woke up?
Doesn't matter this kid will not miss a downn this year. Bowden needs him to play.
Bigriver please tell us what SC record against DUKE in football has to do with anything about hitting women? Can't you come up with something better than the same old tired comments over and over?
ANd yes SC has had several players arrested but have any of these charges been for hitting women?? Bigriver must think it is ok to hit women. His parents must be proud.
June 26, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
notafan (anonymous) says...
McDaniel claims he is innocent. So did OJ Simpson so it has to be true.
June 26, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sbs920 (anonymous) says...
Looks like good ol IPTAY at it again. . .
of course there are orange clad buddies refuting the story.
Gee I guess injuries like that happen accidently all the time in Dump Valley Land. Why didn't he just call campus security? that would have been the smart thing to do. Oh I forgot we're talking about clempson. . . YeeeeeHaaaaa
Sweep it under the orange rug of secrecy as usual. . .
June 26, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mdtpace (anonymous) says...
bigdouche flows again. Blah, blah, blah, blah. I am beginning to think that you must have been rejected when you applied to SC, because you are one angry little man about something.
June 26, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dereksmith (anonymous) says...
Those (schools) who are without sin, should cast the first stone.
You mean to tell me that there are schools out there with young 18-19 year old kids that don't get ANY trouble from them? If there is, I'd like to know so I can send my daughter there.
June 26, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mcfadden00 (anonymous) says...
The details of the witness statements are in Larry's Tiger Tracks blog:
http://www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger...
June 26, 2008 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
huj (anonymous) says...
Just to reiterate from my comment on Larry's blog, what I'm now interested in is finding out how, if the girl is indeed lying, her injuries came about. Self-inflicted? As said above, scorned people can go to great, psychopathic lengths to exact revenge. If that's the case, I would like to know if the injuries were inflicted by the girl herself or by McDaniel, or perhaps a third-party in cahoots with the girl. I dunno, just spitballing.
I do think the discovery of the origins of those injuries is key to this case.
June 26, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
i am really impressed with the way she beat herself badly before she went to the emergency room . iptay to the rescue!
June 26, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JAMJOH (anonymous) says...
Who would sprain their own neck, punch, bruise, and choke themself for attention and/or revenge? I'm curious as to the credibility of the two witnesses, maybe they were Davis and Spiller.
June 26, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dereksmith (anonymous) says...
I dated a girl that self-inflicted herself to get back at me. I had to call her own son into the room to be a witness (thank God I did), so I know from my own experience that some women have snakes growing out of their heads & they're capable of doing anything!
June 26, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MissPriss (anonymous) says...
I'd like to think that the girlfriend wouldn't be crazy enough to inflict injury on herself just to get McDaniel into trouble, but hey, stranger things have happened. I knew he was going to say he was innocent. I don't recall the first article mentioning any witnesses. I'm very interested to see how this plays out and how Tommy reacts.
For the record I am a Tiger Fan but I do not condone domestic abuse at all and if he is convicted I hope the proper punishment is given.
June 26, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drp7773 (anonymous) says...
Wont matter one way or the other, he is an athlete, they need him to win. And we know by watching the pro's all these upstanding athletes are always innocent. But if this turns out to be a total lie by this lady then she should be found guilty and serve time too. It's time for false allegations to come to an end, too many reputations are ruined because of this. As one said earlier Duke is a good example.
June 26, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ms_lady2u (anonymous) says...
there's always three sides to a story, his, hers & this thing we call the truth!!
June 26, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
ms_lady2u----well spoken (or in this case, written)
June 26, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
four sides at clemson his ,hers, the truth ,and clemsons spin on the matter (which depends on the need at his position and talent level) .
before you slam me . the spin is at ALL major colleges and is the base for the trouble we have with these kids.
June 26, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charleston_grown (anonymous) says...
ed52, i don't think Clemson University or TB has made one official comment about the case, other than they are looking into it. guess they are really trying to spin that one.
i for one am a little skeptical about the whole situation, but the more details that come out, the more it makes you wonder. This isn't the first time in sports that a woman has lied about being abused by an athlete. Let the law enforcement figure this one out, and lets hope the truth prevails. Because regardless of allegiance, it would be a shame to see someone's career ruined by a lie.
June 26, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
give them time. it's their job. I guarantee it will not be the whole truth. every time they speak i think of the corey groover shooting story. 3 years later, the only true statement is "he was shot".
June 26, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
ed52----Sorry, I couldn't understand what you were saying because of the noise from the black helicopters circling over your head.
I, like everyone else rushed to judgment on this issue, and now it turns out the facts as initially reported may not be totally accurate. Its now time for intelligent people to take a deep breath and allow law enforcement to do its job and present a true picture of what actually occurred last Saturday morning. Google up the name Mike Nifong----there's a lesson to be learned there.
Still, a handful of gamecock posters on this site need to cease these infantile "conspiracy" comments....not only are they not true, its a slap in the face of law enforcement and it makes the posters look exceptionally uneducated. We all understand how desperate gamecock fans were for something negative to come out of Clemson so it would deflect attention from the incredibly long list of offenses committed by usc athletes in the last few years---but lets all remember: they all pleaded guilty. Mr. McDaniel is claiming the incident didn't happen the way it was reported to the police and has now apparently produced witnesses to substantiate.
I don't know what happened and neither does anyone else on here. Time to wait for the official investigation to be completed before further condemnation.
June 26, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rebel_Yell (anonymous) says...
Get a change of venue out of cowdung county and stick this guy to the wall. What a thug. And a single christian football player with a single woman in his bedroon -- what a sinner. Mamas don't let your boys go to Clemson to learn how to beat and rape women and get away with it. It's been going on ever since Danny Ford was coach--even Ford's daughter got raped by one his star thug athletes. And I wouldn't compare this piece of trash to a Duke Lacrosse player--sounds more like OJ or Pacman.
Haha BigRiver -- you reap what you sew and this is far worse than drinking a beer underage. and Duke used to be pretty good in the 60s and 70s so your comparing apples to oranges or rapists to beer-drinkers. Duke sucks now but we don't play them, however, the clemson thuggers do. Duke's last ACC win was over Bowden's thuggers just 2 years ago--it was a typical Bowden let down if you recall. Just like next season for the clemson thuggers. HaHa. Eat it.
June 26, 2008 at 1:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MSC (anonymous) says...
Will his suspension come against SC State, The Citadel or Duke?
June 26, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
Rebel Yell---Please, whatever you do, NEVER switch allegiances. usc deserves you.
& BTW, its been noted time and again that BigRiver IS NOT a Clemson fan. He's an Oklahoma fan. He just enjoys getting a rise out of you gamecock fans....though I don't know why because its not much of an intellectual challenge.
geesh
June 26, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tigerfan07 (anonymous) says...
Rebel Yell-
Last time I checked, we lost to Duke in 2004. I guess you should probably learn facts before you run off at the mouth. Granted, it is shameful that we lose to Duke at ALL, but you still have a LOSING record and that is laughable at best. I agree with Ashley River. USuC deserves you. Don't change please b/c I think we all love the comedy you give us. Also, this is about an altercation btw these two parties, not our respected universities. Please keep that in mind as you make such jealous remarks. We all know who owns who.
June 26, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hammy (anonymous) says...
Rebel Yell-
I am sorry that Clemson rejected your application to attend school there. You still sound so bitter... you really need to let that go.
You make quite a few allegations/accusations regarding Clemson's players in the past as well as the current situation. Do you have any proof or is it just typical USuC delusion driven by Clemson-envy?
Oh, that's right, you couldn't possibly have any proof because Clemson has every law enforcement division in the upstate in their back pockets.
June 26, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hammy (anonymous) says...
notafan,
Does the name, Derrick Watson, ring a bell? If I'm not mistaken (and I'm pretty sure I'm not), he PUNCHED a girl in the face! That was just ONE of many incidents involving this typical USuC "thug"!
Don't try to compare USuC with Clemson on anything! There is no comparison!
June 26, 2008 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hambone23 (anonymous) says...
Wow some of you South Carolina fans seem HAPPY that this unfortunate event happened. Why are you guys so bitter? Is it because Clemson beats you year end and year out and has better academics? NOTE: this is all coming from an outsider looking in.
June 26, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
ashley, apparently your orange coolaid affects your comprehension. Here is a direct quote from rev tommy when he couldn't remember his lies. he is no longer with the team . he did not complete pti and (something else i can't remember). this was the result of the brawl at the YMCA when corey groover was shot!!!!!!!!!!!! yep your helicopter crashed. lets see a brawl leads to a shooting .
clemson sports info stated he was just walking by the waffle house when he was shot. oh my ,somebody LIED . We would have never known this if littleberry would have finished his pti. I have more FACTS , but i doubt your orange brain could comprehend them.
June 26, 2008 at 6:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
ashley , how many field sobriety test have you been given when you were totaly sober?
June 26, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
snozberries (anonymous) says...
Is this a joke?? So he has 3 witnesses that come forward, but instead of going to the police immediately after this happens, they just all three write statements, give them to DM and he takes them to his attorney's office who then claims INNOCENCE without even talking to the witnesses himself??? LOL!!!!!
June 26, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kerwin1959 (anonymous) says...
Has anyone thought the girl may have been drunk/high and went into "black/white gurl gone mad" mode. Rumor has it there was a screaming exchange, he kept asking her to leave, she turned around too fast to make a dramatic exit, and because she was messed up, she fell down the stairs. He ran down to help her, and she went off on him, saying he would pay.
We'll see. Chris Olsen is a decent attorney(sounds like an oxymoron, I know), and he's not in the back pocket of the Clemson elite hierarchy. I've known him for over 20 years. A good guy, uses discretion with accepting a case like this.
My money says she'll retract the event and the negotiate on a charge of "filing a false police report".
June 26, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
snozberries (anonymous) says...
I mean the cops don't even know about these "witnesses" yet it's got to be she is lying. I suggest y'all go to the state paper, where the chief of police is quoted as saying no "witnessses" have come forward to him, and the attorney hasn't even SPOKEN to these people!!! The chief also says the injuries are serious and that he doesn't believe they are in any way self inflicted.
"uh hey guys, y'all know I'm innocent right"? "Yeah, and though they just charged your with highly aggrivated assault, I've got some things to do, but will write up my statement over the next few days so you can give it to your attorney". HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I thought clemson had better cover people than this.
June 26, 2008 at 7:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
snozberries (anonymous) says...
Oh he is a good attorney alright. He leaks these "witness" statements to a clemson guy, AND to the university WITHOUT talking to any of these people.
Hey, maybe, just maybe he should have suggested that these people come in, make a statement to him in person (got to make sure the stories are straight..wink wink) and then SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE go to the police?????
It seems like Mr. Olson was much more concerned with getting this BS spead throughout the media before the actual authorities took their statements and questioned them.
He doesn't sound like an attorney....he sounds like a spin master.
June 26, 2008 at 7:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
ed52---you're insulting the intelligence of everyone who reads this newspaper. If indeed you have "facts" or "evidence" of wrongdoing in any crime, then you are abetting the crime by not coming forward and informing the proper authorities.
Like most of gamecock fans who are posting in this thread, you're blinded by your anti-Clemson bias and have accepted the fantasies of some other gamecock fan of similar ilk as truth....and as I've posted before, I trust you folks are not truly representative of the vast majority of gamecock club members.
I challenge you again and cannot express this sentiment strongly enough: If you have "facts" or "evidence" involving criminal activity, you are abetting the crime by not reporting it..............Call the local constabulary, SLED, or an individual in a position of authority and report it!
Otherwise, shut up.
June 26, 2008 at 7:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
ashley , i HEARD this with MY OWN ears . I don't make stuff up.. (item 2)I don't have to prove anything thats anything ,boy do you hear me, anything to you .
item 3 the charges were filed.. The same media that finds the gamecock problems could not find these problems. They did not make the headline news . item 4 apparently you are representative of most rabid iptay members .
item 5 , you or iptay don't control the first amendment. i enjoy your opinions , i don't have to ridicule your thoughts and humor.
By the way I will not shut up !!!!!!
June 26, 2008 at 9:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
youmanyo (anonymous) says...
Poor ed52, he must have bEEn AN aBusEd child.
June 26, 2008 at 10:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
ed52---as one might well imagine, you have nothing at all to back up any of these allegations you claim to have about wrongdoing going unreported at Clemson. Again, I'll provide the numbers for the Pickens Co. Sheriffs Dept, Clemson Police Dept., Clemson University Police Dept, SLED, the Circuit Solicitor for that area (Solicitor Bob Ariail got his law degree at usc), the NCAA, and the number for the Sports Department for the Post and Courier......BTW,the P&C Clemson beat writer Larry Williams is a usc grad and I'm sure would love to have an investigative piece to focus on during the summer lull.
By making the schoolboy recess boast that you "don't have to prove anything"' its apparent to all readers that these claims are indeed just your "opinion". There's no basis to believe you have facts that unreported criminal activity by Clemson athletes has occurred or that some sort of conspiratorial cover-up is taking place because you won't (or most probably can't) provide proof, evidence or "facts" as you term them. When you decide justice needs to be served, let me know and, again, I'll supply all the phone numbers for the folks I've listed above and I'll also supply a list of contacts at those offices.
So, from here on, we'll be forced to recognize that your psychotic rants of wrongdoing at Clemson are simply your unsubstantiated opinion and certainly not necessarily the truth.
June 27, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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