Police said that Jamirah Shutes, a Memphis guard, was charged with assault after allegedly punching Elissa Brett, a Bowling Green player, as they shook hands following Thursday’s third round victory of the Falcons in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
Friday’s press release by the Bowling Green State University Police Department confirmed that Shutes, a fifth year player, was arrested following an “unwarranted personal incident” involving Brett after BGSU’s 73-60 win.
The statement stated that “Following Thursday’s unwarranted physical incident following the WNIT home match, the Bowling Green State University Police Department had charged a Memphis woman’s basketball player with assault.”
“Violence cannot be tolerated, and our priority is the safety, health, and support of our student athlete, who is doing well and recovering.” This investigation is ongoing in collaboration with the City of Bowling Green Prosecutor. No further comment is possible at this time.
Police stated that BGSU Athletics was also doing its own review.
It happened during the Memphis-BGSU Sweet 16 matchup. Shutes stopped when she reached Brett as both teams approached the center court for a handshake.
According to police, Shutes then sucked Brett to death, forcing her to the ground.
Shutes was grabbed by a member of the Tigers’ coaching team and taken off the court.
An incident report states that Brett suffered swelling in his right eye from the strike.
Memphis issued a statement Friday affirming its cooperation with local authorities.
The statement stated that “The incident that occurred after Thursday’s women’s basketball game was very unfortunate” and was not consistent with or representative of our expectations for student-athletes and programs.
“Because it occurred after the game, the jurisdiction is in the hands local authorities and we are fully cooperating with them. We will not comment on the process until it is completed in order to be respectful.
Shutes, a native of Tennessee, became the 27th player to score 1,000 points in program history. In career points, Shutes is ranked 13th at the school.
