Four WCU football players suspended after altercation

The charges have been filed against Herbert Charles White, 20, of Havelock, Michale Juan Spicer, 19, of Dudley, Darian Lee Freeland, 21, of Greensboro, Richard Jermaine Finger, 19, of Charlotte, and Larry Wonderful Jones, 20, of Rocky Mount.

White, Spicer, Freeland and Finger have been suspended from the Catamount squad. Jones was dismissed from the team last season for unspecified reasons, according to Mike Cawood, WCU sports information director.

"The university's standard practice is that any student who represents our university in an extracurricular activity and who is charged with a felony will be suspended from that activity pending the outcome of the case," WCU Athletic Director Jeff Compher said. "This applies to all students, not just student-athletes. Accordingly, all four players involved in this incident have been suspended."

Warrants on file at the Jackson County Clerk of Court's Office indicate the five were involved in the "forcible and violent taking of property." They allegedly took a billfold containing $27 from Christopher Whitley Speight.

Gene McAbee, director of pubic safety at WCU, said the incident occurred off campus at the bridge near Carolina Village Apartments on S.R. 1002. McAbee's department assisted the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

All five men charged are free after posting $15,000 bond.

White, Jones, Freeland and Finger are all enrolled at WCU this summer, according to Western's Office of Public Information. Spicer is not enrolled this summer but was a student during the spring semester.

Speight was last enrolled at WCU during the spring semester.

Spicer played in 10 games last year as a defensive end and recorded 20 tackles, including six sacks. Freeland played in eight games last year as a linebacker. He had 12 tackles and one forced fumble. Finger was a walk-on, who did not play, and White was with the team in the spring but saw no action during the season.

A defensive end, Jones played in four games last year before his dismissal. He made 24 tackles.

Back to Sports: 07/26/01.