Archive for January 5th, 2010

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WARNER ROBINS — There won’t be any new members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. for the foreseeable future.

An electronic letter sent to members by the fraternity’s general president, Herman “Skip” Mason Jr., says future intake processes for new members are suspended indefinitely, citing “the failure of some of our members to behave honorably and with care.”

His message comes less than a month after suspected hazing by members of the fraternity’s Fort Valley State University chapter left one member seriously injured and another member arrested for apparently causing the injuries.

“Following my review of 2009, it became clear to me that one area that needs our immediate focus is the conduct of brothers involved in the intake process,” Mason letter stated. “Our process was designed with the assumption that our members would conduct themselves honorably and with care. Regretfully, in several instances, that has not occurred. “This means that all membership intake activities shall be and are hereby suspended until further notice.”

One man, 21-year-old Bryson Trumaine Amey, was charged with felony aggravated battery in connection with an incident that Fort Valley police say occurred on the evening of Nov. 29. The incident left 19-year-old Brian Tukes hospitalized. Tukes, a 2008 graduate of Westside High School in Macon, was diagnosed with acute renal failure and admitted to the Houston Medical Center on Nov. 30. He was later transferred to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. He has since been discharged.

Efforts to reach Tukes and Amey were unsuccessful Monday.

The incident report mentions that the suspect or suspects apparently used their hands, fists or other body parts to physically assault Tukes at the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity house at 603 Carver Drive. The report says the hazing went on from Sept. 10 to Dec. 1. Information on the incident report for 14 people listed as witnesses was redacted.

Tukes’ mother, Phyllis Tukes, informed university officials of her son’s allegation. The university then alerted the Fort Valley Police Department, which is handling the investigation. The department will hand its findings over to Peach County District Attorney Cliff Woody, who will determine whether other charges will be filed.

Mason said in a statement after the Fort Valley incident that his organization saw hazing as an act against the entire Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and that the group’s reputation would be upheld through legal avenues against wrongdoers.

No such legal action has been substantiated. Other than the earlier statement and the letter sent to members over the weekend, the fraternity has been mum on the subject.

Brian Joseph Anthony Kelly, spokesman for the fraternity out of its national office in Baltimore, said by phone Monday that answers to several questions, including what incidents contributed to the decision to halt intake and whether all were related to physical hazing, would be sent via e-mail. By Monday night, that e-mail had not been received.

To contact writer Marlon A. Walker, call 256-9685.

RELATED:

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This from TMZ

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NBA star Gilbert Arenas didn’t have a license to possess the guns he stored in his locker in D.C…. law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We’re told there were four guns in Arenas’ locker that were turned over to police, including a gold-plated Desert Eagle — a gigantic handgun.

Arenas could be charged for “CPWL”– carrying a pistol without a license.

As we previously reported, Arenas could also face assault charges stemming from the alleged gun-toting standoff with a teammate on Xmas Eve.

D.C. cops plan to bring in Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders today for questioning. GM Ernie Grunfeld will be brought in later this week.

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“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with law enforcement officials today. As the person who caused this trouble in the first place, I thought it was my duty to be the first witness to come forward and meet with the prosecutors and detectives. I told my attorney I wanted to get in for an interview as soon as we could arrange it, and that was today.

I told the detectives and prosecutors the whole story about my storing the unloaded guns at the Verizon Center and what I was intending to do when I took them out of my locker on December 21st.

As I have said before, I had kept the four unloaded handguns in my house in Virginia, but then moved them over to my locker at the Verizon Center to keep them away from my young kids. I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia, mistakenly believing that the recent change in the DC gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District.

On Monday, December 21st, I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate. Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone.

Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns — even if unloaded.

I am very sorry for the effect that my serious lapse in judgment has had on my team, my teammates, the National Basketball Association and its fans. I want to apologize to everybody for letting them down with my conduct, and I promise to do better in the future.

I also want to thank the detectives and prosecutors on the case for the professionalism and courtesy they showed me during the interview today. I stand ready to continue to give my full cooperation to them and to the League as they investigate this incident.”

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“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with law enforcement officials today. As the person who caused this trouble in the first place, I thought it was my duty to be the first witness to come forward and meet with the prosecutors and detectives. I told my attorney I wanted to get in for an interview as soon as we could arrange it, and that was today.

I told the detectives and prosecutors the whole story about my storing the unloaded guns at the Verizon Center and what I was intending to do when I took them out of my locker on December 21st.

As I have said before, I had kept the four unloaded handguns in my house in Virginia, but then moved them over to my locker at the Verizon Center to keep them away from my young kids. I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia, mistakenly believing that the recent change in the DC gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District.

On Monday, December 21st, I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate. Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone.

Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns — even if unloaded.

I am very sorry for the effect that my serious lapse in judgment has had on my team, my teammates, the National Basketball Association and its fans. I want to apologize to everybody for letting them down with my conduct, and I promise to do better in the future.

I also want to thank the detectives and prosecutors on the case for the professionalism and courtesy they showed me during the interview today. I stand ready to continue to give my full cooperation to them and to the League as they investigate this incident.”

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Subscribe to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE