Argue, Thomas 2 P

September 10, 2008

Transcriber, this is Detective Keith Roberts Louisville Metro Police Homicide Squad. Today’s date is September the 10th, 2008, the approximate time is 1126 hours. This will be a taped statement from Justin Agrue. This statement is in reference to Case File #08-197.

Roberts

Justin, for the record could you please state your name and spell it?

Agrue

Justin Agrue, J-U-S-T-I-N, A-G-R-U-E.

Roberts

And, what’s your home address?

Agrue Roberts

x Okay. And, the fact that this statement is being recorded, does it meet with your approval?

Agrue

Um-hum, sir.

Roberts

Okay. Uhm, this statement is in reference to the uh, incident that happened on 8/20, of ’08. Uh, that occurred during your all’s uh, PRP football practice. Please describe in your own words uh, what happened uh, at the beginning till the end of practice?

Agrue

Uh, the beginning practice everything was fine. Uh, towards the end probably an hour or couple of hours before practice ended? Uhm,

Page 2 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

kids are goofin’ off, not doing what we’re supposed to do. And, Stinson uh, made us run. Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

And, that was it. And, like we had 4 or 5 water breaks during uh, that practice day. And, Uhm, I some, I heard people say uh, like Stinson said we couldn’t have water. But, I was right there next to uh, Stinson and Max the whole time. And, during that practice, and uh, it we really. If we really needed water Stinson would’ve let us have water. He wouldn’ve denied his water to anybody.

Roberts

Did Max ever ask for water?

Agrue

No.

Roberts

Uhm, how, how are the water breaks given, do you all go as a team or do you go individually?

Agrue

It’s first we can get a drink of water before we like, as soon as we start practice. Then we do it individuals for a little bit. You know, we do team take offs individuals, then the water break. Then come back and do some more drills, then another water break. And, 7, on, 7 or team, then we get a water break and we run.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

And, we only do 4 s…, 4 sprints (inaudible)…

Roberts

And, when you do the water breaks, these are done in, in little groups of whichever?

Agrue

Yeah, sometimes it’s groups, sometimes it uh, it’s as a team.

Page 3 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Roberts

Okay. Uh, do you remember uhm, how many water breaks you personally had that day?

Agrue

I had 4.

Roberts

Okay. And, after the last water break what did you all do?

Agrue

We was uh, doing I think it was team 7, on, 7 or team and that’s when kids started acting up. And, Stinson told us, said we can’t do what we’re supposed to do we’re gonna…, run.

Roberts

So, did you do the 7, on, 7 or did you run?

Agrue

Yeah, we did the 7, on, 7 for a little bit, then uh, they started acting up. Then we started…

Roberts

And, then you ran?

Agrue

Yeah, then we ran.

Roberts

Okay. And, when you say uh, y’all were acting up (inaudible)…, why.

Agrue

(Inaudible)…

Roberts

Was this why you all were running, why he told you to run?

Agrue

Yeah, we was walking, we wasn’t doing what we was supposed to do. ‘Cause, it wasn’t, the whole team was only uh, a couple of kids. And, you know, a couple of kids get in trouble, the whole teams gonna pay for it.

Roberts

Awe, so a couple of kids was just walking around, but because they were walking the

Page 4 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

whole team had to run? Agrue

Yeah.

Roberts

Okay. Uh, and how many, how many sprints did, did your group do?

Agrue

Uh, everybody did sprints together, it was the bigger guys and then the smaller guys. Uhm, uhm, anywhere betworn…, between 20 and 30.

Roberts

And, what group were you in?

Agrue

I was with the smaller guys.

Roberts

The smaller guys. And, do you remember how many sprints you ran before you started taking off any of your gear, any of the helmets or shoulder pads?

Agrue

I think at first it was like, the first time it was like with all the equipment on. The second set was you know, to take the helmet off. But, keep the shoulder pads and pants on. Then the third step the la…, the last 10, we took the helmet and shoulder pads off.

Roberts

So, the first before, while everything was on you, you did about 10?

Agrue

Yes.

Roberts

Okay. And, this, are these the gassers?

Agrue

Yeah, gassers.

Roberts

Okay. Across, back, across, back as one?

Agrue

Yes, sir.

Page 5 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Roberts

Okay. And, is this where the, the k…, uh, the smaller guys have to do it in 45 seconds?

Agrue

Yeah, he gives us a time limit, he just tryin’ to push us harder.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

To make us work harder.

Roberts

D…, do the, do the bigger guys still have the same time, or do they?

Agrue

No, they have a longer time.

Roberts

They have a longer time? Uhm, and how much time do they have, do you know?

Agrue

No, I don’t.

Roberts

Okay. And, from a time standpoint, how long do you think you all were running the sprints?

Agrue

I’d say probably a half an hour.

Roberts

About 30 minutes, and.

Agrue

Nothing real serious, I mean it wasn’t bad at all.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

(Inaudible)…, running.

Roberts

Did anybody uh, any of your team mates did they ask to, ask for a water break while you all were running the sprints?

Page 6 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Agrue

Um-um.

Roberts

Did anybody try to go get some water while you was running sprints?

Agrue

Not that I noticed.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

I know if uh, we wanted water he would’ve let us have water, if we seriously needed it.

Roberts

Okay. Uh, did anybody uh, did you or did anybody else get sick while they was running the sprints?

Agrue

I mean there’s people breathing heavily, you know, breathing heavy. But, uh, Max he, he’s the main one, and uh, Antonio Calloway. He’s the other kid that went to the hospital that day too.

Roberts

And, they were they, did they throw up or just had trouble breathing?

Agrue

Max he like, he started walking, you know he started gettin’ dizzy or whatever. And, me and my friend David Thompson, we saw him. Uh, we carried him up the field, and he just like completely dropped in our arms. And, coach uh, told us to lay him right there, and they got a cart. And, they uh, picked him up, and they put some ice bags under his arms. And, uh, went over to the water fountain and just uh, soaked him in water.

Roberts

Uh, now was, when Max collapsed, did he have his full gear on, the helmet f…, shoulder pads what?

Page 7 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Agrue

His shoulder pads and helmet were off.

Roberts

They were off, so he was running this, so this was after the sprints or was it still during the sprints?

Agrue

Think it was like right before the end of it.

Roberts

Right before the end of it?

Agrue

Yeah.

Roberts

Like, like right after you take the shoulder pads off?

Agrue

Yeah.

Roberts

You do the last little?

Agrue

Yeah.

Roberts

And, that’s when he collapsed?

Agrue

Yeah.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

That’s when he started gettin’ dizzy, but he collapsed I think it was like at the end.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

Of the sprint.

Roberts

Okay. Uhm, did you ever see him fall and get up and?

Agrue

No.

Page 8 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Roberts

Keep going?

Agrue

Um-um.

Roberts

Okay. And, and you said Calloway, what, what happened to him did he pass out uh?

Agrue

No, he was just breathing all heavy uh, I don’t know what happened. ‘Cause, I wasn’t over at the bench with him. And, they said uh, you know, they gave him water. But, he cou…, he threw the water up. And, like he went to the hospital and they said. Think he had heart murmur.

Roberts

And, was his problems after the drills were over, at the sprints were over too or was that (inaudible)…?

Agrue

Yes.

Roberts

Okay. Uh, during any practices this year you’ve personally seen. Have you personally seen or heard of any teammates being injured or quitting the team, just this year?

Agrue

Um-um, I just uh, well uh, some kid uh, I think it was David Engler, I heard he quit. But, uh, Stinson let him come back.

Roberts

What about anybody being injured you know of, and I mean, I don’t mean like a strain.

Agrue

(Inaudible)…

Roberts

I don’t mean like a.

Agrue

No.

Page 9 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Roberts

Pulled hamstring or a pulled muscle?

Agrue

No.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

Man uh, I seen people with only like strain uh, like pulled muscles in their shoulders. And, Stinson let them sit out, they didn’t, he didn’t make them practice through all that.

Roberts

Okay. Uh, has anyone influenced you in anyway to withhold information. Or, to change any of the facts that actually occurred during the practice?

Agrue

No, sir.

Roberts

And, is this statement truthful?

Agrue

Yes, sir.

Roberts

And, is there anything else you wanna add that I didn’t go over with you or that that I need to know about?

Agrue

Stinson didn’t do nothing wrong.

Roberts

Okay. And, Mr. Stinson is the head coach?

Agrue

Yes, sir. He was just being a coach is all he was doing.

Roberts

Did anybody that you know of uh, ask for water that day?

Agrue

Nope.

Page 10 of 10 Statement: Justin Agrue / Case #08197 September 10, 2008

Roberts

Nobody, nobody ask for water?

Agrue

The uh, if people had asked for water he would’ve gave it to ‘em.

Roberts

Okay.

Agrue

Or, he would’ve let ‘em go get water.

Roberts

Okay. Well, with that we will now go off tape. The approximate time now is 11: 35.

END OF STATEMENT File #08197roberts-dl