Football Player Arrests: Darien Superintendent Disputes Claim

This story has been updated to include additional reported details.

NEW CANAAN, CT — The arrests of members of the Darien High School football team the day before the Turkey Bowl against New Canaan followed procedures, New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski told the New Canaan Advertiser in an interview this week.

And according to a report in the New Canaan News which cites court documents, trash talking between some of the principals in the incident on the social media platform Snapchat contributed to the ensuing fight that left the teenage New Canaan victim with cuts and bruises on his face.

The alleged assault of the New Canaan youth by the suspects occurred on Nov. 6, and the New Canaan department conducted more than 20 interviews before applying for warrants. Those warrants were submitted to court on Nov. 21 and signed by a judge on Nov. 22. The suspects - Darien residents Jack Joyce, Brian Minicus and an unnamed juvenile - surrendered to police that evening, according to Krolikowski.

Timing of the arrests, which led to the Darien team playing without a couple of starters, has been questioned, but Krolikowski also said that Darien school officials were made aware of the incident on Nov. 7. New Canaan shutout out Darien, which had been undefeated and ranked #1, 27-0.

In a statement to the Darien Times, Darien Schools Superintendent Dan Brenner disputes Krolikowski's assertion that Darien school officials were notified of the incident. No one from the district was officially notified by police, but a student alerted officials via email, which district officials took to Darien police, according to Brenner. Darien police then told Darien school officials of the New Canaan police investigation, but the New Canaan police did not notify Darien school officials, he said.

The incident allegedly began with Snapchat taunts between the New Canaan victim and a female friend of his from Darien, writes the New Canaan News. Both had been at separate parties the night before Election Day, which students had off.

The Snapchat taunts led to Joyce, Minicus and the third suspect allegedly traveling to New Canaan and confronting the victim.

Click here to read the full story on the New Canaan Advertiser website, click here to read it on Darien Time site and click here to read it on the New Canaan News site.

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