October 1, 2008

Today’s date is October 1st, 2008, time now is 2015 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. This
interview is of Mr. Jeff Bratcher, and we are currently at 5506 Mannerhorn Drive.

Jones Uh, Mr. Bratcher can you identify yourself?

Bratcher I am Jeff Bratcher uhm.

Jones And, your date of birth?

Bratcher Is
Jones And, address?

Bratcher 5506 Mannerhorn Drive.

Jones And, phone number?

Bratcher
Jones Are you aware this interview is being taped?

Bratcher Yes, sir.

Jones Does it meet with your approval?

Bratcher Yes, sir.

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Jones Okay. At this time I will ask you to, to uh, uh,
go back to August 20th, 2008. Uh, I understand
you were a spectator at a soccer game in, at the
uh, PRP and Waggener soccer game?

Bratcher Yes, sir.

Jones At this time can you elaborate on what you

observed at that time?

Bratcher Uh, we had arrived at about 5:15 at the game

and watching my daughter gettin’ ready to play
soccer. And, started watching my daughter,
game started at 5:30. And, uh, I guess uh, first
that that I noticed when watching the game
was. A couple of (inaudible)…, players on the
teams were wanting the uh, the other kids to
speed up so they could get practice over with.
And, and kinda gettin’ on the, gettin’ on ‘em
telling ‘em to hurry up. But, that’s the first
thing I noticed uh. I guess uh, the second thing
that threw by attention to the field from the
soccer game was. Mr. Calloway gasping for
air, just real loud. I just never heard anyone
gasping for air like that.

Jones Okay. Mr. Calloway was a player, football

player?

Bratcher He was a player, yes.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher On the team.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Yeah, uh.

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Jones So, he was gasping for air and.

Bratcher Yes, and a couple of the players were, I guess

uh, I’d say they grabbed him under his
shoulders. And, was starting to walk him
behind, I was sittin’ on the, with my family. We
were sittin’ on the sidelines of the soccer field.
And, I turned around and looked and a couple
of players were taking the length of the soccer
field toward the other end.

Jones Toward the tree or the entrance to the field

(inaudible)…

Bratcher The entrance, yeah and the tree.

Jones Yeah, okay.

Bratcher Toward that end, the entrance of the, the field.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher And, uh, you know, and got to watching the

game a little more. And, I turned around and
and uh, I saw a couple of players like dry
heaving, I guess you would say? Kind of dry
throwing up you know, or whatever you.

Jones Okay, okay. Was he bent over or standing up?

Bratcher Bent over, yeah.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Bent over a little.

Jones Okay. And, you said 2 players?

Bratcher Two, yes.

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Jones Okay.

Bratcher And, uh I guess it got more, you know just

looking back watching the game. And, then all
this taking place, just trying to put in time
frame. What I guess you’d say, just watching
my daughter play soccer. And, and then uh, I
guess, I don’t know. It seemed like after all
that, that took place maybe. I don’t know it
seemed like 5 or maybe 10, 15 minutes later?
Uh, I noticed the commotion behind me and I
turned around and this. This uh, this young
feller was sittin’ in the, in the right behind me.
I was sittin’ at center field and he was sittin’,
they where the practice was was behind me.
And, I guess that was Max he, I turned around
and I noticed that he was limp. There was just
uh, no movement in his body whatsoever, and
just.

Jones And, was he being assisted at that time that you

saw him?

Bratcher Yeah, yeah he was, there was a couple of guys

just standing around him. One of ‘em standing
behind him kinda helping him sit up rather.

Jones Were they adults or?

Bratcher Adults, yeah.

Jones O…, okay somebody at least, how may adults

were helping him?

Bratcher That was uh, looks like a couple of ‘em ov’ ‘er
helping with him,

Jones Okay. And, he was uhm, sitting uhm, uh

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

upright or?

Bratcher They were helping him sit upright.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher He…

Jones Did he respond or?

Bratcher No, he wasn’t responsive whatsoever.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher He was, he was limp, he was.

Jones Uh, what kind of equipment was uh, Max

wearing at the time you saw him?

Bratcher Uh, you know I think at that time when I saw

Max, they had already had his. I think he just
had a tee-shirt on.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher I don’t even think he had his, he didn’t have his

shoulder pads on at that time and you know.
When I turned around and noticed him, he was
just sittin’ there in the middle of the field. I
don’t know you know, I don’t know where
Max came from, from that point? I just turned
around and I noticed Max was limp and uh,
right behind me.

Jones And, then what did they do with him at that

point?

Bratcher At that point I noticed they got a uh, the little

gator, they, they. You know, they finally got the
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

gator over to him. And, when the guy picked

him up he was, he was just life less at that
time. And, they put him in the gator and took
him over to the water fountain.

Jones And, the water area is where as relationship

(inaudible)…?

Bratcher Uh, it’s like uh, where you enter at, enter the,
the area? It’s on the left hand side over there.

Jones And, is that at the end of the soccer field?

Bratcher At the end, yes.

Jones Uh, closest to school?

Bratcher Closest to the school yes sir.

Jones Okay. And, when they took Max over to that

location uh, what did you see them doing?

Bratcher Uh, they were pouring water on him uh, just he

was still lifeless over there. And, I noticed they
were pouring water on him. And, in the, still in
the direct sun light.

Jones And, where was the head coach at the time?

Bratcher He was over at, under by the bleachers on, by

the tree on his knee at that time.

Jones And, is that where all the, the players were

gathered?

Bratcher Yes, it was, it was.

Jones And, and is at this point, this is after the

conditioning or running that they had been
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

doing?

Bratcher Yes, it was after conditioning.

Jones At anytime did you see uh, Coach Stinson walk

over to check on Max’s condition?

Bratcher No, not at that time.

Jones Uh, while Max was collapsed on the field the

first time you saw him. Did you see the coach
assistant?

Bratcher No, no he did not.

Jones Head coach?

Bratcher He was still over at the area of the bleachers,

and uh, he had actually had gotten on some
players about going over to, to get water. Four
or five of the young men were going over to
get water.

Jones After the running?

Bratcher After the running, yeah and once he had told

‘em that they needed to be under the shade
tree. Uh, he did not order them to get water,
and that was one of the reasons that they were
losing last year.

Jones Okay. He said the exact words that you heard?

Bratcher Yes.

Jones Okay. And, did the players able, were they able
to get water or did they eventually walk to the
rest uh, where the uh, team had gathered?
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Bratcher After well at that time uh, I was like I say, I’m
back and forth between my daughter and the
soccer field. And, and looking back but uh,
those. He ordered those players to come back
over to the shade tree area. Those 4 or 5
players that were walking over, they did.

Jones And, is that where the majority of the team was

gathered?

Bratcher Uh, yes the majority of the team were under

the shade tree.

Jones Okay. And, Max is still being watered uh?

Bratcher Yes.

Jones Being watered down.

Bratcher Right.

Jones Did EMS eventually uh, arrive?

Bratcher Yeah, it seemed like it, I don’t know it seemed

like when I turned around and I noticed Max
for the first time on the ground? When he was
pretty much lifeless at that time, before they
even got him over there? It seemed like it was
about maybe uh, 20 to 30 minutes probably.
Or, I guess EMS probably had got there.

Jones Before they arrived, 20 or 30 minutes.

Bratcher Yes.

Jones After he had collapsed?

Bratcher Yeah, I was, I guess I was just a little

aggravated. ‘Cause, when I turned around and
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

noticed him on the, on the field lifeless pretty

much? You know it just seem like, I don’t
know. They should’ve got to the young man a
whole lot faster. Should, should uh, EMS
should’ve been there.

Jones Um.

Bratcher 15 minutes.

Jones And, you said…

Bratcher At least 15 minutes or so earlier.

Jones You, you uh, and you said you do pers…, you
do uh, uh.

Bratcher Safety training.

Jones Safety training at your job?

Bratcher Yes, sir.

Jones And, in your uh, opinion uh, did Max get the
attention that he needed?

Bratcher No, sir I don’t think he did uh, I don’t think he

did whatsoever. I think he was beyond, at the
time when I turned around and first noticed
Max? I think at that time it was definitely in.
You know I’m not a doctor or anything. But, I
think it was definitely beyond heat stress. You
know head exhaustion is for, then heat stress.
And, then I think at that, I think at that time
right there. Like I say I’m not a doctor, but I
think heat stroke probably had taken place
right there.

Jones And, that’s based on what you had observed?

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Bratcher Yes.

Jones As, as it relates to what Max’s, what Max’s

body looked like (inaudible)…

Bratcher Yes, ‘cause he was just lifeless at that time.

There was no response from him whatsoever,
you know. I mean he was limp, it w…, it was
just. When I guess the assistant coached lifted
him up in the gator? The lifted him up, he was
just you know and he was lifeless. It was just
lifting dead weight up at that time.

Jones Okay. And, when uh, let me backup a second.

Uh, when the team was running uh, how were
they running, the width of the field or length of
the field?

Bratcher The, the width of the field.

Jones And, they, how were they, how as the uh,

players lined up?

Bratcher Uh.

Jones (Inaudible)…

Bratcher I’d say that there was probably, seemed to me

15 or 20 rows, 3 or 4 deep at that time.

Jones Okay. And, they, they started from which end

to what end?

Bratcher They, they started closest to the soccer field.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher And, going toward the houses and coming

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

back.

Jones Okay. And, when you observed Mr. Calloway

uh, Antonio Calloway the first player, a black
male player?

Bratcher Yes.

Jones Get ill. What was he wearing, what kind of

equipment was he wearing when you observed
him?

Bratcher When, when I think it was just his uh, he didn’t

have his helmet on. And, I think he was just, if
I remember correctly. It was just the shoulder
pads, and and just his, his uniform like at that
time.

Jones Okay. So, everything without his uh, his

helmet?

Bratcher Helmet, yes.

Jones And, you said your attention immediately was

drawn to his because of what?

Bratcher To Mr. Calloway?

Jones Yes, sir.

Bratcher Oh, just because he was gasping for air, and

I’ve never heard you know, anyone in my life
gasp that loud for air. It was really loud.

Jones Did you see any coaches attend to Mr.

Calloway at the time he became ill?

Bratcher Uh, you know, seemed like the players to me,

were carrying him behind me at that time and.
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Jones Okay.

Bratcher The 2 guys were up under him and and then

you know, I looked and he. Probably come half
the soccer field and I watched him for the
length. And, then he w…, he was going toward
the shade tree at that time.

Jones Yes, sir.

Bratcher And, then I took notice to the soccer game

again, so.

Jones So, Mr. Calloway was on the far end of the

field, away from the main entrance?

Bratcher Yes, he was.

Jones Correct, when he got ill?

Bratcher Yes.

Jones And, you said 2 players, not coaches?

Bratcher Yes, it seemed like 2 players.

Jones Okay. Who had assisted him getting off the

field?

Bratcher Um-hum.

Jones And, where was the head coach at the time that
Mr. Calloway got ill?

Bratcher He was still, he was kneeled down about the

general area that Max. I noticed Max for the
first time, at that time.
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October 1, 2008

Jones Okay. And, how long before Max fell ill after
Mr. Calloway got ill, how long after?

Bratcher How, how long after I saw Mr. Calloway?

Jones Yeah.

Bratcher Before I noticed him?

Jones Yes.

Bratcher I guess it was probably, seemed like around 10

or 15 minutes again maybe.

Jones So, 10 to 15 minutes after Mr. Calloway got ill,

that’s when you noticed Max?

Bratcher Max, yes. And, when I turned around and

noticed Max, pretty much everybody was over
in the. Going toward the shade area at that
time.

Jones As a team?

Bratcher As a team, yeah.

Jones And, the running had been concluded at that

time?

Bratcher Yes, at that time when I noticed Max.

Jones Did you see any other coaches around or how

many other coaches did you observe during
this running?

Bratcher Uh, I guess it was probably 5 or 6 head

coaches during, during the running time.

Jones Okay.
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Bratcher When they were running.

Jones Did you see, at what portion of the field they

were at while the running was being done?

Bratcher Seemed like they were kinda spread out.

Seemed like Mr. Stinson was in the middle of
the field, of the football practice.

Jones Coach Stinson, what was he wearing?

Bratcher Uh, he was just wearing shorts and uh, and uh,
like a hat uh. Like a fisherman hat or
something.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Yeah.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher And, a tee-shirt.

Jones He remained in the center?

Bratcher On a, on a knee yeah. When they were running

he was uh, had a pillow or something that he
kneeled down on. And, there was a bigger guy,
I don’t know who that was. A bigger guy that
generally stayed around him. Then uh, I
believe uh, feller Steve that helped us at track
uh?

Jones Is he another coach?

Bratcher He was another coach, I reckon he is.

Jones Uh.
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Bratcher I notice him.

Jones Would his last name be Deacon?

Bratcher Uh, I guess it is Deacon, I noticed uh.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher He was, he helped uh, he helped me with shot,

shot put for the girl’s track team.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher And, that’s how I know his name is Steve, and

I noticed his face, and uh.

Jones Okay. So, during the course of the illnesses and

at least 4 players? Uh, you described Mr.
Calloway being the first.

Bratcher Um-hum.

Jones Described 2 other players uh, who actually

were bent over?

Bratcher Bent over, yes.

Jones And, they were actually several minutes after

Mr. Calloway became ill?

Bratcher Uh, no.

Jones Or…

Bratcher I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t say it was several

minutes. I would say Mr. Calloway, I’d say 2, 5
minutes maybe. Two to 5 minutes after they.
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October 1, 2008

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Mr. Calloway was walking up ‘ere. What they

had done is they had actually got through
running? And, they come back over and that’s
when I noticed them bent over.

Jones Bent over.

Bratcher Yeah.

Jones Okay. And, of course Max was right at the end

of the uh, running?

Bratcher Yeah, Max was definitely at the end, yes.

Jones Okay. And, how many players would you say

were actually running or running at one time?
You said there was a line at least 15 to 20?

Bratcher It had to be, yeah 15 to 20.

Jones So, at least that many running across the field?

Bratcher At that one time, yeah.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Seemed like, could be 10 to 15, I didn’t really

count ‘em.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Just trying to remember back at that time.

Jones Uh, can you recall the weather conditions that

day?

Bratcher Uh, it was like, it was, it was hot. It was like 94

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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

degrees and we, we were in the direct sunlight.

‘Cause, we always sit there during the soccer
games. And, my wife, and my mother-in-law,
father-in-law and my brother was there. And,
it was no wind, it just have any breeze.

Jones It was no wind?

Bratcher No.

Jones Was there any shade in on the practice field or

the soccer field?

Bratcher No, the only shade really on the other side of

the soccer field, there’s baseball fence? And,
there’s a little shade at that time. But, when the
suns sittin’ you know, at about 5:30 or so,
around that time? You know, there’s not much
shade over there at that fence and.

Jones So, they end, that end will be the farthest side
of the fence, closest to uh. Closest to the uh,
uh, the game field? Or, the g…, or the baseball
field?

Bratcher Yeah, the baseball field.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher That fence there that’s the.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher The, players the soccer players and the soccer

coaches get a little shade ov’ ‘er.

Jones Okay. So, that will be west, just slight just west
of the uh, soccer field, correct?
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Statement: Jeff Bratcher / Case #08197(o)
October 1, 2008

Bratcher Right.

Jones If you, if you facing this, the baseball uh,

diamond area? Where this fence is located at,
that’s facing west?

Bratcher Um-hum, sun.

Jones Okay, okay.

Bratcher Yeah, sun settles in the west over there, yes sir.

Jones Uh.

Bratcher And, there’s a little shade uh, where the shade

tree and the bleachers are? And, I guess you
would say uh.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Where the entrance is over there?

Jones Okay.

Bratcher But, you know soccer field and the football

field doesn’t really have much shade. Doesn’t
have any shade on it whatsoever.

Jones Did you see any other players become ill?

Bratcher Sigh…

Jones Or, any other players denied water or

anything?

Bratcher Uh, other then, then it seemed to me like when

uh. When I saw Max and time frame after that?
It seemed like 4 players were trying to go over
to get water. Uh, just those 4 f…, 4 to 5 players
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October 1, 2008

it seem like were going over trying to get

water. And, then uh, the head coach with the,
with the fisherman’s hat on. He, he made a
point to stop them. They, they weren’t
following orders properly. Uh, they were told
to go to the shade tree, and something about.
That’s one of the reasons they lost last year,
‘cause they couldn’t follows orders and so
forth. But, I didn’t really see you know.

Jones So, Mr. Bratcher the only training that you saw
as it relates to the football practice, was in fact
the running?

Bratcher Um-hum, that’s it.

Jones Okay. And, you got there around 5:15?

Bratcher Yeah.

Jones And, what time do you think Max fell ill, what
time do you think uh, that the players started
getting ill? Or, a time oh, I’m, I’m sorry let me
re…, uh, the question. How long do you think
the players had been running before any
players fell ill?

Bratcher Uh, I’m, I’m just on guessing uh, I don’t know.

Like I say they were pretty much running and I
would think be…, at 5:15 when before I got
there you know. I would say that they probably
started; I don’t know just, I’d be guessing
there. Probably 5, or quarter to 5, I don’t know
what time they started running.

Jones Okay. So…

Bratcher Seem like they were running when we had got

there.
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October 1, 2008

Jones And, you got there at 5:15?

Bratcher Yeah.

Jones And, what time do you think the time that you
observed Max get ill?

Bratcher Max, when I turned around I think I noticed

Max, I guess that would’ve been, seem like uh.
Uh, it was after the soccer game had gotten
started. So, the soccer game had started 5:30,
so I would have to say just probably you know
quarter to 6 or 6. Or so, I guess somewhere
around that time I guess.

Jones Okay. You, you’re not exact but you’re just

thinking they ran at least till a quarter to 6?

Bratcher Yeah, yeah I’m thinking so.

Dog barking…

Jones Okay, okay. Uh, is there anything important,

anything else I didn’t ask you, anything else
we didn’t cover?

Bratcher No, that’s you know, just by watching the game

and, and turning around and observing just a
little bit of the practice. That’s, that’s what
comes to mind you know.

Jones Okay.

Bratcher Uh…

Jones And, let me check some notes, I think we’ve

covered everything.
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October 1, 2008

Bratcher I guess I, you know I really I just wished they

would’ve reacted a little bit faster to Max. I
guess would be the thing I, I think.

Jones Okay. Uh, is there anything else we didn’t

cover, that basically covers your statement?

Bratcher Yeah, I guess so, sir.

Jones Okay, okay. Uh, we will conclude this

interview; the time now is 2035 hours.

END OF STATEMENT

File #08197ojones-dl