Report: Idaho players avoid charges after coach returns merchandise
Several University of Idaho football players reportedly walked away with nearly $400 worth of clothing from a campus store earlier this month, but it sounds like they were fortunate enough to avoid legal trouble thanks to their coach.
According to a police report that was obtained by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, VandalStore manager Scott McDonald contacted police on Aug. 16 after the merchandise was alleged to have been taken during a time when the store was open only to the football team.
McDonald had “noticed several clothes hangers empty,” the report says, and he reviewed surveillance footage, at which point McDonald "saw approximately three males stealing clothing."
Per the report cited by the Daily News:
"The video clearly showed some items being stolen and placed primarily in a red backpack, and it appeared as if other items may have been stolen and concealed in one suspect’s pants."
The paper says police watched the footage and that two team graduate assistants were asked to contact their superiors to determine how the suspects could be identified. Vandals assistant coaches Kris Cinkovich and Bobby Daly reportedly arrived at the store to watch the video, and the report states that Vandals head coach Paul Petrino later arrived and spoke to McDonald. The paper says Petrino departed the store after their talk, at which point McDonald then showed police that Petrino had returned a pile of clothing.
The police report says that when police asked McDonald which players had been identified as the culprits, he said he “didn’t write it down and did not recall.” According to the report, McDonald said police would be given video the next day but that VandalStore director John Bales informed the authorities that he was keeping the tape and the issue was being "handled internally."
Petrino said the same after practice on Tuesday.
“The situation has been handled, and they’re being internally disciplined,” he said, adding that he did not believe the players received any special treatment.
The UI Dean of Students Office said the players will be investigated through the Student Code of Conduct process and that "under the same circumstances, the university would have taken the same action with any other student(s)."
As some of you know, Petrino looked bad earlier this month when a report came out accusing him of berating a member of the media.
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