September 9, 2008

Transcriber, this is Detective Keith Roberts, Louisville Metro Police Homicide Squad.
Today's date is September 9, 2008. The approximate time now is 1228 hours. This will be a
taped statement from Mr. James Wong. This will be in reference to Case file #08-197.

Roberts Mr. Wong, are you, uh, aware this conversation

is being recorded?

Wong Yes sir.

Roberts Does this meet with your approval?

Wong Yes sir.

Roberts Okay. For the record, could you please state

your name, and spell it for me?

Wong James J-A-M-E-S Wong W-O-N-G.

Roberts And what's your home address?

Wong x

Roberts Okay. Uh, I'm taking this statement in

reference to the events that happened on
08/20/08 that occurred during the PRP football
practice. Uh, in your own words, could you
please describe the events, uh, of that day, uh
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

from the beginning to the end of practice.

Wong Uh, well, practice. Practice wasn't a great

practice.

Roberts Okay.

Wong It wasn't really horrible, I wasn't really the best

practice effort.

Roberts Okay.

Wong But the team was really slacking.

Roberts Okay.

Wong We were walking around, and Coach, Coach

doesn't really like that. So we got in trouble
because we were really slacking. We were
walking in and out of every drill. So when the
coach told us… After our water break, he told
us to get on the line and run gassers. And, uh,
we probably, probably ran about 15, maybe 20
gassers around that area.

Roberts Okay. And so we understand what a gasser is,

you all are on the field running. Is that
correct?

Wong Yeah. On the field running. It's, it's, uh, it's

about 50 yards up, 50 yards back; 50 yards up,
and back again.

Roberts Which is one?

Wong Which is one gasser.

Roberts And this is going across the field, not the

length of the field, right?
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Wong Yeah. It's goin' across the field.

Roberts Okay. Now, uh, how were the water breaks

given? Were they individually, or as a team?

Wong Uh, it is a team. Like, there, we have like the

line backers, and the linemen…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong We, we go individually like after each drill.

Roberts Okay. How long does each drill last about?

Approximately?

Wong I'd say around… Some drills, mostly the small

drills, 10 to 15 minutes.

Roberts Okay.

Wong Probably, probably 15 the max…

Roberts Okay.

Wong …the most. And probably, probably, I'd say

around 10, maybe near the (inaudible).

Roberts Okay. Uh, on that particular day, uh, how

many water breaks did you personally take?

Wong I know, I know there's one, one near the

beginning of practice. I know there was
another 'cause, uh, after this drill, then I had,
had to go back to another drill. So it's three.
Uh, from there, uh, the one before we ran the
gassers, I had probably four. Four.

Roberts And after the last water break, uh, what did the
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

practice consist of?

Wong Huh. Uh, it was, it was supposed to be like,

actually like a real light practice. Because it
was, I remember it was on a Wednesday, and it
wasn't really that, that big a practice yet
because season hasn't really started. So it was
probably the drills weren't really that much.
My drills were running through bags and, uh,
going through agility drills. Nothin' really big.
Not yet.

Roberts So what are you? A running back?

Wong Uh-uh. I'm a line backer.

Roberts A line backer. So you would basically, uh, the

drills, uh, after the, the water breaks, you all do
individual type drills.

Wong Yes. And then there's… I remember there's

this, uh, is, uh, it's like hard base period where
we'd learn the plays. Like we'd stand or get on
the knee and watch the coaches do 'em. They'll
instruct us on plays, and we'd learn… That's
probably the, the longest. I'd say it's probably
20 minutes in that time.

Roberts And who is your position coach?

Wong Coach Houser.

Roberts Houser?

Wong Houser.

Roberts Okay. Uh, why was the team, uh, running

sprints?
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Wong Uh, people got back from the water, and the
coaches yelled for like, uh, another drill to be
started basically. Like a team drill where we'd
go seven-on-seven, basically passing and all
that. And the linemen would go into their drill,
basically just, uh, usually one-on-one, O line
verses D Line, stuff like that. Well, people
walked from the water break. They were
walking, walking to their drill. And Coach,
coaches were yellin' for them to hurry up, and
they were still walkin'. And throughout
practice, people were really, not really doin'
that good. And everything was real slow.
People were walking in, being lazy that day.

Roberts Okay.

Wong That's probably why we got in trouble.

Roberts Okay. Uh, how many sprints did your group

run?

Wong Uh…

Roberts Approximately?

Wong My, uh, I know I ran, ran more than the

linemen. I know that. Uh, uh, probably, I
think I ran maybe 18 or 19, maybe. I'm not
sure, but…

Roberts Okay.

Wong Max of probably 20, 20 gassers…

Roberts Okay.

Wong …for me.

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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Roberts And, and what group were you in?

Wong Uh, usually there is like the linemen group that

would run.

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong And that would be the little guys, like the

backers.

Roberts Gotcha…

Wong The smaller guys.

Roberts Alright. Uh, and the smaller guys, you believe,

ran more than the linemen?

Wong Yeah. If I remember.

Roberts Was it because the linemen is, was too tired or

Wong No. It's because…

Roberts They, it's okay…

Wong It's because how the gassers started off. Like

it'd be little guys, then big guys. Little guys,
and big guys. So I think I ran… We ran more,
like once, one more, than them.

Roberts Okay. And how many sprints do you

remember running, uh, before you were able to
start taking off any of your, your gear?

Wong I think probably around, around, uh, eight or

ten.

Roberts Okay.
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Wong That's usually, we run eight or ten on, on a

daily basis.

Roberts And how many sprints did you run after you
took your gear off?

Wong Hum. First we took our helmets off. I

remember, I think we ran three or four gassers.
And from there, Coach told us to take our, uh,
shoulder pads off. Then, we ran, uh, probably
three or four after that.

Roberts So anywhere from like six to ten after all the

gear was off?

Wong Yeah.

Roberts And from a time prospective, how long do you

think you all were running the sprints?

Wong Hum. I really can't answer that. I really don't

know.

Roberts Okay.

Wong I really try not to keep track of that time 'cause

I just wanta…

Roberts Okay. I mean, does it feel like it was more

than 10 minutes long before everybody
finished?

Wong I don't know. To me, every, every gas, every

time we can run, it feels like we're out there for
an eternity.

Roberts Okay.

Wong So I really don't know. I mean, it might just

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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

probably been like 30 or 40 minutes, but to me,

it always feels like seven hours.

Roberts Okay. Alright. Uh, during the time you all

were running, uh, your sprints, uh, did anybody
ask for water?

Wong Uh, I really don't remember 'cause usually it's,

we're all on a side line on the field, and I'm on
the, probably the far side with probably lesser
people.

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong So I really, I really don't know if anybody

asked for water, but I couldn't hear 'em because
I was on the side where nobody really wasn't
There running' with me.

Roberts Okay. Did any, any, uh, did you or any of your
teammates become ill during the running of the
sprints?

Wong Uh, what do you mean by ill?

Roberts Did you, uh, get sick? Did you throw up? Did
you feel dizzy? Did anybody feel like, you
know, I'm just gonna sit down because I don't
feel good?

Wong I could tell you people were tired, but when

Coach, Coach saw some like, one of my
friends, Antonio…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong He was wheezing real bad, and he was really

pushin' it real hard to his, probably his, his max
because I, I know him and he had, he had run
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

his hardest, and he was breathing real hard.

And he said he, he kept on goin'. Coach,
Coach said, uh, took him out.

Roberts What's, what's, do you know Antonio's last

name?

Wong Uh, Antonio Calloway.

Roberts And you said he was just wheezing? Just…

Wong Yeah.

Roberts …did he have asthma or somethin'…

Wong Uh…

Roberts …that you know of?

Wong I don't think he has asthma, but like I heard

from him… We've, we've known that he had
like a heart murmur, but I don't think it really
has anything to do with that because he's been
checked by two doctors before…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong And he's cleared, he was cleared to come back.

It was probably a long time ago.

Roberts When, when Calloway, uh, kind of like got,

got, looked a little bad, uh, was this uh, before
you were able to take any pads off or
afterwards or during the whole thing?

Wong This was probably after the pads were off.

Where everything was off.
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Roberts Okay. Anybody else you remember?

Wong No. I only remember Antonio and Max. That's

who?

Roberts Max? Is that his first name or last name?

Wong Max. Max Gilpin.

Roberts Gilbin? Oh. Okay.

Wong My friend.

Roberts And, and, was this was he, did he uh, fall
before or after doin' the sprints?

Wong This was after. On the last one.

Roberts The last sprint?

Wong Yeah. He was, uh, I didn't personally see him

'cause he was on the other side, but…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong But I heard he was, he was really actually fine

before. Like during the gassers, he wasn't
breathing real hard…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong …Uh, he wasn't, like, ill or anything. He was

just almost the last one that… But I heard that
on the last one, that's when he fell.

Roberts Okay.

Wong So… I heard he was fine throughout all of

them.
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Roberts Okay. During any of the practices this year,

have you personally seen or heard of any of
your teammates being injured or quitting the
team?

Wong Uh, personally, I've like, I've had I've been

havin' hamstring problems since last season.

Roberts Okay.

Wong So usually when I run, I'll run, but when, when

I have when my hamstrings can't really take it,
which it like once in like a blue moon…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong …uh, I will tell Coach, but, uh, I'll always try
my best, try to like see if I can keep on goin'
like.

Roberts Play through the pain a little bit?

Wong Just a little bit. But when it really starts…

END OF TAPE 1, SIDE A

BEGINNING OF TAPE 1, SIDE B

Roberts Transcriber, this is the continuation of a

statement with Mr. Wong. Okay. Go on and
talk about your hamstring.

Wong Right. The hamstring. Like when it really gets

hurting really bad, after I've played through,
after I've ran through a little bit of it, I'll tell
Coach. 'Cause sometimes… Well, they know
about my hamstring injury. I just, I wouldn't
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

really just straight up tell 'em but I'll run, I'll

run through it and when it's, when it's hurting
pretty bad… 'Cause I wouldn't say hurt, but
when it's tightening up…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong …real bad and my leg's really can't lift up, I'll
tell Coach and they understand.

Roberts Okay. And did anybody, uh, you know of any

of your teammates to quit?

Wong I really don't, don't remember anybody

quitting.

Roberts Okay.

Wong Like quitting the team or…

Roberts Right.

Wong I really don't remember that.

Roberts Okay. And as far as your injury, it wasn't

anything that's, uh, like you had a broken
ankle…

Wong Nothin like…

Roberts …or (inaudible). Everything is semi-minor.

Wong Yeah.

Roberts It's stuff that you might be able to play through

from time to time?

Wong Yeah.
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Roberts Okay. Uh, has anyone influenced you in any

way to withhold information or change any of
the facts that actually occurred during the
practice?

Wong No

Roberts Is this statement truthful?

Wong Yeah.

Roberts And do you have anything else you wanta add?

Somethin' I didn't ask you or you think might
be important to what we're goin' through here?

Wong Uh, usually, we run gassers like after every

practice. I mean, this is normal that we're
running probably, probably ten, probably ten
gassers…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong Usually, we're, we're being timed for gassers.

We run four of 'em.

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong The little guys, we're supposed to make 'em,

uh, within' 45 seconds or less. And if we don't
make 'em, we, we run eight. So every time it's
being timed, so if we make all four of 'em, we
don't have to run anymore. But on a usual day,
we don't make 'em; it'll be eight or ten. I mean,
that's real normal.

Roberts So…

Wong Just…
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

Roberts …if anybody…

Wong …if anybody doesn't make it… Like, let's say

I'm the only person that makes it and
everybody doesn't, we still have to run eight.
And if everybody makes it besides just one
person, we still have to run eight.

Roberts And everybody would have to do it?

Wong Uh…

Roberts I mean, you said you made yours, you know,

would you have to run, run 'em again
because….

Wong Yeah.

Roberts …you, you were the only one that made…

Wong Yeah.

Roberts …within 45 seconds?

Wong Yeah. But it, but if the little guys… Let's say
the little guys…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong If we didn't make it, but the O line make all

four of there's…

Roberts Uh-huh.

Wong They're probably finished, but that hasn't really

happened yet.

Roberts Okay. But that day, did you all run an

inordinate amount of time, or more than
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Statement: James Wong / Case #08197(E)
Date: September 9, 2008

normal?

Wong It was, it was a border normal.

Roberts Border normal. And it was…

And it was
…

Wong Because…

Roberts …because people were lazy?

Wong Yeah. Slack. It was… We weren't even

really… The team was just not into it. We
weren't even hitting each other right. WE were
just probably goin' up to each other and huggin'
each other. That's it. We didn't even… That's
what probably did it.

Roberts Goin' through the motions a little bit?

Wong Yeah. Goin' through the motions. That's

basically what we did.

Roberts Okay. Okay. Uh, well, with that, we will, uh,

end the taped statement. The approximate time
is 1246 hours.

END OF STATEMENT

File #08137Eroberts-jj