Kelcy Quarles, Victor Hampton not in the wrong in NYC nightclub brawl
By Sydney Hunte
Sep 14, 2013; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles (99) celebrates a fumble recover against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Former South Carolina Gamecocks Kelcy Quarles and Victor Hampton have been cleared of any wrong in a fight a few weeks ago in a New York City club, avoiding what could have been a damaging blow to their NFL Draft hopes.
The Post & Courier‘s Ryan Wood reports that the player’s attorney, Joe Tapocina, confirmed to the paper that his clients were completely innocent and that they were simply “minding their own business” when a brawl broke out back on the 11th at the Greenhouse nightclub. Quarles and Hampton were questioned by authorities about their overall role in the situation.
“They were…doing nothing wrong by all accounts, by independent witnesses,” Tapocina told the paper. “They were never wanted. They cooperated with the police. They gave statements, and they were vindicated.”
The situation was ignited by a patron at the club smoking marijuana while “doing all sorts of things that were unsavory,” said Tapocina.
When the players objected to his actions, the man was then asked to leave, but “started getting aggressive…and punched (Hampton) as (Hampton) was sitting down,” Tapocina continued. “It was very, very clear that this guy was trying to do a money grab.”
Teammate Chaz Sutton, meanwhile, was stabbed by a friend of the accuser, who was later arrested.
While Quarles and Hampton were ultimately in the clear, their only mistake was finding themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time (however, Hampton’s found himself in hot water outside of this–namely a heated argument involving him and his sister five days before which ended with the two of them being cuffed). They fortunately were not directly involved in any violent and irresponsible behavior, but let’s hope that they pick their company more carefully down the road in order to avoid situations like this in the future.