Saturday’s Division II college basketball game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College ended with Tuskegee coach Benji Taylor being led off the court in handcuffs.
Video obtained by HBCU Gameday shows security escorting a handcuffed Taylor through the front of the stands and into the hallway. Another video shows the circumstances that led to the bizarre scene in which Taylor confronts a security guard about a handshake line, and the guard responds by removing his handcuffs.
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Taylor is clearly angry, but there is no sign of him posing any physical threat to the officers.
Taylor later released a statement to Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman.criticized the decision to handcuff him, saying he was simply expressing concern about Morehouse football players standing in line to shake hands.
“I’m speechless and upset about how I was assaulted and treated today. It’s heartbreaking for me for the players, their families and the people of Tuskegee to witness that. The football team was right behind me and they were shouting obscenities and just trying to get me out of the handshake line! It was a very dangerous situation.”
Tuskegee Athletic Director Reginald Ruffin We also provided more context for HBCU Gameday. After Morehouse’s 77-69 win over Tuskegee, a group of Morehouse football players reportedly mingled with the team, which Ruffin described as a “security breach.”
Taylor reportedly went to security and asked the football players to be ejected. Ruffin said the coach’s actions were reasonable, but the guard apparently had other things in mind, via HBCU Gameday.
“He asked the security guard, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security guard,” Ruffin said.
Ruffin added that the security guard’s account differed, claiming that Taylor was “very aggressive” and an “aggressor,” but Ruffin said this was not accurate. The officer said Taylor cited that perception as the reason he was handcuffed.
Taylor was reportedly released and returned home with his team. He has been Tuskegee’s head coach since 2019. According to the school website.
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On Sunday, Taylor hired national civil rights attorney Harry Daniels to pursue a possible civil lawsuit. Daniels said in a release that Taylor asked officials to remove players from the Morehouse football team who “acted aggressively” to remove Tuskegee players and their parents from the court.
They are currently investigating “all legal avenues,” including possible civil litigation.
“This behavior by Morehouse football players, particularly interacting with basketball players on the court and during postgame handshakes, is prohibited by conference-mandated security protocols,” the release states. alabama.com.
“However, when Coach Taylor asked two police officers to enforce these procedures in an attempt to diffuse an increasingly dangerous situation, one of the officers chose to handcuff him and escort him from the courtroom. Coach Taylor was never charged with a crime.”