Wright State Police released a copy of a 13-page report Monday showing that WSU head men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon found a loaded weapon in the vehicle of Tavares Sledge on Sept. 18; two weeks before Sledge was dismissed from the basketball team.
Sledge was charged on Oct. 9 for improper handling of a firearm, which is a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Sledge entered a not guilty plea Monday for the charges and will face Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth Root.
WSU Police was called to the Setzer Pavilion, the team’s practice facility, on the afternoon of Sept. 18 on a call of a possible custody dispute. Alaina McAuley, mother of Sledge’s son and a former WSU volleyball player, came to the Setzer Pavilion to let their son say goodbye to Sledge as McAuley planned on going back to her hometown of Marietta, Ohio.
Donlon was listed on the police report as a facilitator and mediator between McAuley and Sledge during the custody exchange.
According to the report, Sledge was distraught by the situation and stayed in his car as McAuley took their son to her car. McAuley asked Donlon to get the car seat out of Sledge’s car. Donlon convinced Sledge to exit the car as Sledge went to Donlon’s office. Donlon then found the loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson Sigma firearm on the rear floorboard.
Donlon asked McAuley about the weapon. Donlon told WSU Police the next day that he had never handled a weapon and was concerned about it firing. In the WSU Police report, McAuley reportedly unloaded and separated the magazine. McAuley told WSU police that the weapon belonged to her and neither her or Sledge have a concealed carry permit.
Donlon called WSU professor Joseph Kefrel who the police refer to as the team’s counselor who then called WSU Police.
Sledge was patted down and handcuffed before being transported to Soin Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.
Keferl advised WSU Police that Sledge had talked about suicide. Kefrel also told WSU Police that Sledge had called his mother in Alabama leaving an ominous message. “He was not sure how it was going to end and he also told her goodbye,” according to Kefrel’s statement in the police report.
The Sept. 18 incident at the Setzer Pavilion was Sledge’s second criminal incident. Sledge was suspended for 14 games last year after a September, 2013 altercation with his girlfriend. The altercation led to Sledge being jailed for 19 days by Root.
Sledge was also ordered to take parenting and domestic violence classes.
Sledge drew support after last year’s arrest from members of the university community including Athletics Director Bob Grant and WSU President David Hopkins. Grant and Hopkins were among a group of community leaders who wrote a letter to Root on Sledge’s behalf.
“We believe a 19-day jail sentence will certainly do more harm than good to this young man,” the letter reads. “Tavares has come a long way in the last two years in this community, and any jail time will certainly jeopardize this progress.”
Sledge also was suspended for two games in 2012 according to The Guardian archives for a violation of team rules.
Sledge played in 86 games for Wright State averaging 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
On Oct. 2, WSU announced it had dismissed Sledge from the basketball team citing a violation of team rules. The Athletics Department said it would not comment further.
On Monday afternoon, a message was left for a WSU spokesperson asking if the Athletics Department would like to comment further after the police report went public. The Guardian has not received further comment.
Update
Minutes after this story was published, a WSU spokesperson said the Athletics Department did not have a copy of the police report and thus would be difficult to comment on the police report.
