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Pasadena Oity College
Warped Tour!
Check it out on page 10
Volume 98, Issue 3
“The Independent Student Voice of PCC, Serving Pasadena Since 1915.”
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Jesus Gomez
/
Courier
Stabbed Student Comes to Campus
Student Samuel Prendergast shows his wounds to paramedics after being stabbed at his residence
Wednesday. Prendergast told campus police that he was attacked at 2:30 a.m. by someone in his
home. He arrived on campus around 7 a.m. When police discovered him they immediately called
paramedics.
Guns for
Campus
Police
Urged
Document from panel states
case for arming officers
ONLINE POLL
Should campus
police have guns?
VOTE AT:
pcccourier.com
BRUNA NESSIF
Linus Shentu
Courier Staff
The Associated
Students, the Classified
Staff and the faculty are
in favor of giving guns to
PCC campus police, according to a position paper writ¬
ten by a task force studying the issue.
The position paper states that, “Due to the rise in the
amount of gang activity on and around the campuses of
the District, and the inherent crime that exists along
Colorado Boulevard, it is highly recommended by the
Associated Students, the Classified Staff, and the faculty
that the Campus Police be armed; both on and off-duty
for officer safety and protection.”
The position paper, “Arming of Campus Police,”
dated June 26 and obtained unofficially by the Courier,
appears to be a recommendation of the entire commit¬
tee, but its author is not apparent and there is no indica¬
tion it was ever considered by the panel.
Page
2»
Football Player, Sex Offender Arrested in Assault
Jeremy Balan
Editor-in-Chief
A registered sex offender and
member of PCC’s football team,
was arrested Sept. 2, the first day of
school, on an assault charge after a
fight with a female friend.
Darryl Stephens (also known as
“slurp” to friends and teammates)
has been on parole since April 4,
2005, for a charge of “assault to
commit a specific sex crime,”
according to the California
Department of Corrections. He was
also wearing a GPS high-risk sex
offender bracelet on his left ankle
and was listed as a restrained person
per a domestic violence order,
according to the arrest report.
Stephens is now being held at
Pitchless Detention Center in Castaic.
The fight broke out when Morgan
Sheppard, Stephens’ girlfriend,
struck Stephens in the head after he
would not answer her phone calls.
Stephens then restrained Sheppard
in a ‘headlock’ and stuck her three
times in the head, according to the
PCC Police Department report.
Both were arrested on assault
charges, and Sheppard was released
later with a citation to appear in
court. Stephens, because of his
parole status, was detained and sent
to his parole agent for holding.
According to PCC Lt. Brad
Young, Stephens already was in vio¬
lation of his parole before the alter¬
cation, and an order to arrest him
was already issued.
After Stephens was sent to his
parole officer, he was then sent to
Twin Towers Correctional Facility
Daniel Lottes
/
Courier
Darryl Stephens at football prac¬
tice this summer.
in Los Angeles and was later trans¬
ferred to Pitchless, where he remains
awaiting a hearing.
According to Pasadena Chief
Prosecutor Connie Orozco,
Stephens may be in the system for
an extended period of time.
“The county facilities are holding
tanks,” Orozco said. “The state pays
the county to hold the [suspect] and
they have 60 days to schedule a hear¬
ing.”
According to the Department of
Corrections Public Information
Officer, Roy Chaney, Stephens has a
few options.
“He will be going in front of the
parole board and might be given an
offer [to settle], or may chose to go
to trial,” Chaney said.
Chaney stressed that the alleged
parole violation and assault were
separate cases.
Police notified PCC Football
Head Coach Kenny Lawler of the
incident later that day. Even though
the case has not been settled, Lawler
says Stephens is no longer a member
of the team.
“[His situation] is bigger than
football,” Lawler said. “We have
had correspondence with him and
he has wished us luck, but he is not
with the team.”
Lawler knew about Stephens’ pre¬
vious problems, but supported him.
“He was a student athlete trying
to rebuild and rehabilitate his life
and football was a part of that,”
Lawler said. “He had been a model
citizen since he’d been here.”
Interim Dean and Athletic
Director Beverly Tate, as well as
Assistant Athletic Director Mike
Jones did not respond to multiple
calls and messages from Courier
reporters.
Aditional reporting by Allan Santiago
and Rodrigo Mejia