In a troubling off-campus incident, William Caid Combs, a 17-year-old high school football player, faces charges for allegedly assaulting a fellow teenager with a gun.
Whitfield County authorities reported the arrest of Combs, a player for Northwest Whitfield High School, for an altercation that took place earlier in the month. According to the arrest report obtained from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded after a group of teens, including the victim, went ‘mudding’—driving through muddy terrain—and later gathered at Combs’ house.
The situation escalated when Combs became enraged after mud got on his hoodie. The playful mudslinging among friends turned violent when, as per the victim’s account, Combs brandished a gun and struck him in the face with it. The deputy, who responded to the Hamilton Medical Center, noted that the victim had heavy bruising and a significant cut beneath his eye from the incident.
Following an investigation, William Combs Assault Charges. However, since the charge was a misdemeanor and occurred off school grounds, Whitfield County Schools stated that their Code of Conduct does not cover off-campus misdemeanors. Consequently, the school suspended Combs from just one game for “behavior unbecoming of a student athlete,” a decision reflecting the school’s regulations on student athletes’ conduct.
The school’s response to the incident reaffirms the separation of off-campus conduct from school disciplinary measures, unless the charges involve a violent felony. The community has expressed concern over the incident and is actively seeking a statement from Northwest Whitfield High School about Combs’ arrest.
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