Fehirbach, Charles Wit

August 30, 2008

Today’s date is August 30th, 2008, the time now is 1308 hours. My name is Detective Terry Jones, my Code Number is 6354. I’m with the Louisville Metro Police Department. This interview pertains to File #08-197, it is a death investigation involving victim Max Gilpin. And, this interview is being conducted at 8014 Bramble Lane. Uh, this interview is being conducted on the front porch, outside his residence. And, present with me is Danny Herald, he’s with the uh, security of Jefferson County Board of Education. And, uh, again this interview is of a Mr. Charles uh, (Fehribach)…, spelling F-E-H-I-R…, (R, I)…, I’m sorry R-I-B-A-C-H.

Jones

Sir can you uh, identify yourself?

Fehribach

Uh, my name is Charles Fehribach, as he said.

Jones

Uh, your date of birth please?

Fehribach

My date of birth is

Jones

Address?

Fehribach

My address is 8014 Bramble Lane.

Jones

And, phone number?

Fehribach

My phone number is

Jones

Are you aware this interview is being taped?

Fehribach

Yes, sir I am.

Page 2 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Jones

Okay. And, at this time I will ask you to refer back to uh, August 20th, 2008. At which time you were attending a soccer match between PRP and Waggener High School?

Fehribach

Yes.

Jones

At the uh, PRP High School, right?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

Okay. If you would start in, start from the beginning the time you arrived?

Fehribach

Okay. Uhm, me and my girlfriend had gotten there about 4:30. Uh, my girlfriend plays for PRP soccer? Uh, when I got there she showed me where the bleachers were, I sat down. And, there was a football practice that was going on, right to my r…, basically right in front of me? Uhm, my main focus was pretty much on the soccer game there for a little bit. And, my love for football is, but attracted me over to the football practice. The players were running uh, plays and drills probably around about uhm. I believe I told Detective Jones here, around probably 6:30, quarter to 7. Is when they got their first water break?

Jones

Okay. 4:30?

Fehribach

4:30.

Jones

And, when you got there what time, what did you observe once you got there?

Fehribach

Uh?

But, the time you arrived was what

Page 3 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Jones

Involving the football players?

Fehribach

I just observed that they were running their drills, and they were taking and they were running mainly uh, plays.

Jones

Okay. So, they were having some contact drills, correct?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

And, they were wearing full equipment?

Fehribach

They were wearing full equipment helmet, and shoulder pads and everything.

Jones

Okay. And, uh, upon seeing this uh, they continued practicing. And, did they eventually take a break?

Fehribach

Yes, they did, probably about an hour after my arrival.

Jones

And, what time would you estimate that break to be?

Fehribach

Uh, see I arrived at 4:30, probably around quarter after 5 till 5:30.

Jones

Okay. And, then did they break, take a break as a team, or as individuals?

Fehribach

As teams.

Jones

Okay. And, which time they were allowed to get water?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Page 4 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Jones

And.

Fehribach

Probably about a 10 minute break.

Jones

Okay. And, you described the water area as, as where as what?

Fehribach

Uh, the water area they had they uh, water hose that’s hooked to a uh, like a big pipe like deal? And, it’s got uhm, several branches off of it, that’s got little holes in it. Probably able to uhm, give 8, 8 to 10 players drinks?

Jones

Okay.

Fehribach

Uhm, they were over there for about 10 minutes. And, then they went back over and started their practice again.

Jones

So, when they re…, restarted their training after the uh, restarted their practice after the water break? Uhm, which was 10 minutes, as you stated.

Fehribach

Yes.

Jones

Did they continue to wear their full gear?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

Helmets included, correct?

Fehribach

Helmets included, helmets practice p…, I mean pads everything.

Jones

Okay. And, did they continue contact drills, or running drills?

Page 5 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Fehribach

They had started, backed up with contact drills? And, then a little while after that they had gone to uh, different little running drills? Uh, such as just basically throwing the football back, and running it back? You know, 10, 15 yards?

Jones

Okay.

Fehribach

Uh, just little things like that, nothing that would really wear you out immediately.

Jones

Okay. So, leading up to the uh, running drills uhm, they ran, they ran sprints as a team?

Fehribach

Yes, yes sir.

Jones

Okay. And, they ran length wise, or width wise of the field?

Fehribach

They ran width wise.

Jones

Okay. And, uh, how long did they do these running drills?

Fehribach

They were probably running uh, altogether, probably about an hour, hour or so.

Jones

From what time till what time?

Fehribach

Shhh…

Jones

Okay, I’ma I’ll help you along here, as far you told me that the water break was at 7, fift…, 5:15 till 5:30, 10 minute break at that point?

Fehribach

Yep.

Jones

Lead…, leading to a time of approximately

Page 6 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

5:40. So, they ran they did continuous drills after that 5:40? Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

Till what time?

Fehribach

Uh, the contended…, they continued their contact drills and their little running drills. Like I said just running the ball back 10 to fif…, 15 yards. Until its 5:30, probably about 6:30, 6:45.

Jones

Okay. And, at which time they concluded the physical drills and went to running drills, correct?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

As a team?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

And, they you stated that uh ran sprints width wise of the field, not length wise?

Fehribach

Width wise.

Jones

Meaning from side to side?

Fehribach

Yes, they ran from side line to side line.

Jones

Okay. And, this consis…, lasted for how long?

Fehribach

Half hour, 45 minutes at least.

Jones

Okay. And, did they get a break?

Fehribach

No.

Page 7 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Jones

At anytime?

Fehribach

No.

Jones

Did anyone get sick?

Fehribach

Yes, 2 people.

Jones

Who got sick first?

Fehribach

There was a uh, I believe he was a senior; it was a young black male, about 6 foot tall? Uh, very well fit, he had uh, pretty much passed out and they had brought him over to the bleachers about where I was at? And, they had him pretty much laying back; they were putting ice to him? They took and were cooling him down, they carried him over to the uh, water. Just by throwing his arms around their shoulders, and just help him along?

Jones

Um-hum.

Fehribach

And, he got over there and they had him over there probably 15 minutes or so. Just keeping water on him going, cooling him down.

Jones

Okay.

Fehribach

And, then after that I don’t know where he went after that.

Jones

Okay. So, what happens uh, after he is attended to, what happens next?

Fehribach

Uh, probably about 5, 10 minutes after they’d come back from him? There was another kid that had passed out, and he was uh. Little bit of

Page 8 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

a heavier set guy (inaudible)… Jones

White male?

Fehribach

Yes, white male, probably about my height, about 5, 8, 5, and 10, maybe a little taller? Uhm, and when he had passed out he was completely on the ground on his knees? His head was completely drooped down? Uh they weren’t really doing anything to get him up to put their, put his hand on top of his head to get some air under his lung to cool him down? He was probably out there about 10 to 15 minutes. And, then they brought their little gator that they have.

Jones

And, gator is, is what, what, what?

Fehribach

A ga…, a gator is a uh, it’s like a little tractor, it’s got a, a flat bed in it that will dump? And, they brought that over and they helped him into the back of that. And, they had him laying down in it? They drove him over to the water, in the gator? And, they didn’t get him out, they just sit there and watered him from that. Pour him down and had him sittin’ up a little bit. And, they were trying to cool him down, and then probably 15 minutes, 20 minutes after they had get. Been gettin’ him water, when I was talking to a guy that I met there? They brought the ambulance in and they brought the stretcher out. Put him on a stretcher and carried him away in the ambulance.

Jones

Did you uh, observe who this individual was, did you recognize him?

Fehribach

Uh, no I did not recognize him.

Page 9 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Jones

And.

Fehribach

I didn’t, I didn’t know who he was personally.

Jones

And, in your opinion, what you observed was he unconscious?

Fehribach

M…, my from what I observed, yes.

Jones

Okay. And, I may have not asked you this. He, was he fully dressed or did he have shoulder pads on or off?

Fehribach

He, no he was fully dressed, only thing he didn’t have on was his helmet.

Jones

Okay. Helmet was not on. And, did he have number on the, on the particular jersey that he was wearing? Was there a number on it?

Fehribach

I, I do not recall.

Jones

Okay. But, your personal opinion he had shoulder pads.

Fehribach

Yeah, he, he, he had.

Jones

(Inaudible)…

Fehribach

He had all the pads on.

Jones

Okay. In your distance you said you were far, you distance from him was what (inaudible)…

Fehribach

Probably 20, 30 yards.

Jones

20 or 30 yards, okay. So, you can physically see him, okay. Uh, did anyone else get ill?

Page 10 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Fehribach

No.

Jones

And, you stated.

Fehribach

After he had passed out and after they were done running drills? When the rest of the teammates had gone over for a team meeting? There’s probably, there were several teammates, I’m uh, guessing there was probably 10 to 12 of them that went over to the water to get some water? The coach started yellin’ at ‘em, telling them I did not tell you to take a water break. This practice is not over; you get your rear ends over here now. And, just kept yellin’ at ‘em, the players ignored him. They got ‘em some water and they you know, he still continued to yell at ‘em. And, they finally walked over to, over there. He went off on ‘em, told said how do you expect us to win a game like this? He said if you don’t like the game, you don’t like the way I coach it don’t come back. And, in my opinion it was very, very rude the way that he was conducting his football team.

Jones

Did you hear any uh, comments among the players regarding uh, the coaches uh, uh, commands?

Fehribach

Not that I can recall right off.

Jones

Danny did you have anything?

Herald

No.

Fehribach

I thought that it was very rude the way that he treated his players.

Jones

May uh, go ahead.

Page 11 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Herald

When, when they took, they took the white male player over to the water?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Herald

Did you see him be responsive at anytime?

Fehribach

No.

Herald

Or, move or?

Fehribach

No, there was no, there’s none, no response that I seen.

Herald

And, you said, how long before ambulance got there?

Fehribach

Probably about 15, 20 minutes after he was over at, at the water.

Herald

After he was at the water?

Fehribach

Yeah.

Jones

Okay, okay. Now, you mentioned uh, the coach being hard on the, on the uh, players?

Fehribach

He was being extremely hard.

Jones

(Inaudible)…

Fehribach

Harder than I would.

Jones

Can you particularly describe what do mean by being hard on the kids?

Fehribach

The way he was yelling and treating them, and telling them that. He did not tell them they

Page 12 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

could get water, as hot as it was? And, telling them that the way they’re playing, the way they’re practicing? Or, being a bunch of whiny babies and that they’ll never win like that? And, that if he don’t, if they don’t like it, that they don’t have to come back. And, it was extremely upsetting to hear the way that he was treating the players. I mean, it made me sick, I mean I’ve never. Out of all my years of ever playing for anybody? I’ve never seen a coach in any kind of sport, treat their players like that. Jones

Okay. On that note, may I ask you did you play football for PRP?

Fehribach

No, I, I graduated from Indiana. I played for Clarksville, Indiana.

Jones

Okay. The varsity team?

Fehribach

Uh, no I was, you know I was a young kid.

Jones

Okay.

Fehribach

I was third grade.

Jones

But, you, you know what football is about, and you know.

Fehribach

Yeah, my coach never treated us.

Jones

You know what practice is?

Fehribach

Yeah.

Jones

You know what wind sprints are? So, you know the difference, right?

Page 13 of 13 Statement: Charles Fehribach / Case #08197(r) August 30, 2008

Fehribach

Yeah.

Jones

Okay, okay. Is there anything else I didn’t ask you, anything else we, we should cover, anything else important?

Fehribach

Not that I can think of, sir.

Jones

And, this pretty much covers the extent of what you had observed on that particular day?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

Okay.

Fehribach

And, if I have anything else I got your number, I’ll give you a call or something one day.

Jones

Okay. We will go off record; this tape will be made part of the file. Again, uh, you were aware this interview was being taped, correct?

Fehribach

Yes, sir.

Jones

Okay. And, the time now is 1320 hours. we will conclude.

END OF STATEMENT File #08197rjones-dl