Three ex-Eastern Michigan University football players have pleaded guilty to assaulting Demarko Taylor as part of a plea deal.
Taylor, 24, is an Ypsilanti resident who is the cousin of Kristopher Pratt. Pratt pleaded guilty to the murder of the late EMU wide receiver, Demarius Reed.
According to MLive, Quincy Jones pled guilty under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act. This will remove the conviction from his record, if he complies completely with sentencing, which is scheduled to take place Jan. 12 of next year. Darius Scott and Jay Jones pleaded no contest and will not see immediate time in jail.
Taylor suffered a broken bone in the face and had to receive stitches as a result of the assault, which took place in the parking lot of the Kampus Korner party store. The incident took place in August, a month or so after the trial of Ed Jameal Thomas ended in a not guilty verdict. Thomas was also implicated by the police in the death of Reed. Taylor's cousin, however, is serving 18-30 years in the Cottonwood Correctional Facility in Jackson.
Taylor told the police that he tried to reason with Scott, Jones and Scott, but they would not listen to him. After the assault the three former Eagles were arrested almost immediately.
“The three will not be returning to campus while the situation is investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards,” Athletic Director Heather Lyke said in a statement released after the three were arrested. “We are extremely disappointed about this. We take allegations of criminal activity seriously and expect our student athletes to meet high standards of academic and personal conduct."
MLive said that Scott had been friends with Demarius Reed since high school. Reed was a communications major with the EMU football team. He was found, shot dead in the stairwell of his University Green apartment building by his roommate, on Oct. 18, 2013.
Sentencing will take place Jan. 12, 2015.
