Former TCU wide receiver Jacob Fields has been charged with aggravated assault causing bodily harm after an Aug. 13 incident in the Walsh Athletic Complex that left Dozie Ezukanma with a brain bleed and concussion.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Ezukanma told TCU police that Fields hit him in the forehead with a closed fist while he was sitting in the complex, then kicked him in the head after he fell to the floor. Fields, identified in the source as a former TCU safety, could face two to 20 years in prison if convicted of the second-degree felony.
Ezukanma said he only remembers sitting in the locker room on his phone before later finding himself in the training room asking what had happened. He was hospitalized for three days after the injury.
The affidavit says sophomore wide receiver Terry Shelton told Ezukanma, “J. Fields snuck you bro,” and later described seeing Fields strike Ezukanma and watching his head hit the floor. Shelton told police he believed Ezukanma was knocked out before he landed, then saw Fields pull his leg back and kick him.
Shelton said he shoved Fields and told him, “you can’t be doing that; we are teammates.” Sophomore wide receiver Jacobe Hayes then came over and lifted Ezukanma’s leg to check on him, according to the affidavit.
Ezukanma complained of a severe headache, head pain, a skin abrasion on his face from hitting the floor and shoulder pain. He also told police he believed the conflict started during practice because he had been performing better than Fields, and said the two had been “going hard” at each other since camp began.
TCU Assistant Athletic Trainer Curtis Tally Jr. said he heard Shelton calling for him from the locker room area. When he arrived, Shelton was with Ezukanma, whose face was covered and who was crying from the pain.
Tally said Shelton told him, “Dozie wasn’t paying attention; he just hit him,” and later said he believed Ezukanma had a concussion. After Tally kept asking questions, Ezukanma kept saying his head hurt. Shelton then told Tally that Fields hit Ezukanma in the back of the head and kicked him.
Ezukanma was taken to see a doctor, who said he needed a CT scan to rule out a brain bleed. The doctor initially wanted him sent to Midtown Medical Imaging, but after Ezukanma said his ears were ringing, the doctor directed that he be taken to the ER immediately.
Tally drove Ezukanma to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital around 3:40 p.m. The scan results showed a brain bleed, and Ezukanma was transferred to the ICU. A second CT scan around 7:30 p.m. showed the hematoma had grown, and he was treated with blood pressure and pain control medication.
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