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Although Texas Tech offensive linemen Stephen Hamby was indicted on aggravated assault charges May 20, the Tech coaching staff does not want to act without knowing more.
Tech coach Mike Leach said it is wise not to take any action until all the facts concerning Hamby's case are presented.
"We just have to see what the facts are, we're not going to jump to any conclusions until we know exactly what happened," Leach said.
According to police records, the incident occurred March 29 in the 2400 block of Broadway Avenue, where Hamby allegedly punched Tyler Paul Sheridan, another Tech student, in the face and fled the scene.
Sheridan later was treated at University Medical Center for a fractured jaw.
Although, a Lubbock grand jury indicted Hamby last week, it is hard to predict how long it will be before the case will go to trial, said Tray Payne, assistant criminal district attorney for Lubbock County, who could not comment on many specifics about Hamby's case.
However, aggravated assault charges may apply to many different types of altercations, he said, and are one of the types cases the Lubbock District Attorney's office sees most often.
"It is one of the most common cases we file because aggravated assault can be just about anything," Payne said. "It can be causing somebody serious bodily injury. You can break somebody's arm. That'll be aggravated assault. You can break their toe and that'll be aggravated assault. You can pull a gun on somebody and not hurt them, but that can be aggravated assault. There are a lot of different cases that kind of fit underneath the phrase aggravated assault."
Payne said the penalty for an aggravated assault charge could range between two and 20 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Also, a conviction could result in a minimum of two years of probation.
Those convicted of aggravated assualt tend not to fit any particular personality mold, he said, because it depends on the circumstances surrounding the incident and how the accused individual handled it at the time.
"There's nothing good about anything like this," Payne said. "I think it may just kind of depend on the person. Some people may handle it better than others. It's just a lot of factors that go into it. It can't be easy. You make a mistake, you make a bad choice, whatever that is, it's always got to be a little bit difficult on a young man."
Drawing from his experiences in dealing with these type of situations, Leach said the best thing to do is wait, as the charges may not lead to heavy consequences.
"You just see what the facts are and you figure out what happened," he said. "You don't want to have any distractions. We've had all kinds of years where this situation's arised. Sometimes there's accusations and the person's not guilty. Sometimes, they're even more serious than they come out. Usually it's somewhere in between. We just have to see what the facts are."
Hamby was regarded as one of the team's top reserves on the offensive line during the 2007 season, not only playing center, but both guard positions as well. The junior played in 12 games last season, while filling in for center Shawn Byrnes against the University of Texas at El Paso and Northwestern Louisiana State. Also, Hamby was a player on Tech's special teams unit.
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