Shane Williams, Colorado Mesa University Football Player, Allegedly Assaulted Lesbian Woman

A Colorado Mesa University (CMU) football player stands accused of assaulting a lesbian woman in a fight outside a local bar.

As ABC 7 News is reporting, 20-year-old Shane Williams allegedly had a verbal exchange with Chelsea Gallagher and her girlfriend Ashley Davis that turned into a violent physical fight in which he slammed her onto the pavement, like a football tackle. Gallagher said she was knocked out cold, but ended up with a fractured skull.

"Going outside to leave...is when they started kind of making comments about us being gay and saying that Ashley looked like a boy and stuff," Gallagher, who is continuing her recovery in the hospital, said.

Davis said a man named Dakota had begun yelling homophobic slurs at both her and Gallagher, along with two other women, before the assault. Davis said she and Dakota "ended up in a little bit of a scuffle, some pushing and what not," at which point Gallagher tried to break them up.

Police said Williams was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, possession of a fake ID, and being a minor in possession of alcohol. Formal charges have currently not been filed.

CMU officials have yet to comment on the incident, but one of the university's Gay Straight Alliance group members has nonetheless condemned the incident. "Unfortunately [being gay] makes you a target," Sarah Swedberg told KJCT 8.

Still, Gallagher added, "I'm not going to stop being who I am. So, just hopefully I don't have to deal with something like this again."

Comments

[juanmateomontana]

02:01 AM on 02/24/2012

How do we know they didn't start the fight and police chose to arrest him just because he got the better end of the fight? Or, just because he was bigger, he got arrested?

[Wanda Glass]

11:11 AM on 02/28/2012

yeah, you just keep thinking that way brain surgeon.

[juanmateomontana]

05:38 PM on 02/28/2012

Only a fool takes a police report at face value...

[CaroleK1970]

04:31 PM on 02/23/2012

PRISON please.

[freegeg]

03:19 PM on 02/23/2012

"Davis said she and Dakota "ended up in a little bit of a scuffle, some pushing and what not," at which point Gallagher tried to break them up. "

Sounds like a fight to me. IS she insisting that she be given special treatment because of her gender?

[1differentdrummer]

04:05 AM on 02/23/2012

Hey, football stars have free rein in the community, don't they? How come this is a big deal? He's a Big Man on Campus.

[lareinemargot]

06:47 AM on 02/23/2012

You're right. I was just watching a program about Brian Deneke's murder in Amarillo, Texas. His murderer ran over him and then backed up and got only 10 years of probation because yes, he Dennis Camp, was a high school jock. It amazes me how they're looked upon as demi gods of sorts when all they do is play sports and not cure cancer.

[4peacedaybyday]

05:14 PM on 02/22/2012

The silence of the University & of law authorities of Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction concerning this violent attack of a young woman is deafening, though not surprising. No doubt this attack and the inaction of authorities will make headlines in national news, which may finally initiate a change that has been needed here for a long, long, time.

[SteveDenver]

10:06 AM on 02/22/2012

I live for the day when a big bully tackles the wrong lesbian: the one with mixed martial arts training who can take him down and make him cry.

Googled pix of Shane, he's massive and his neck is as thick as his head. Someone needs to teach him there is always someone bigger and meaner.

[1differentdrummer]

04:06 AM on 02/23/2012

Maybe some time in the big house would do it.

[SteveDenver]

10:36 AM on 02/23/2012

... where someone will make a Big Momma outta him!

[norepublicanleftbehind]

02:57 AM on 02/22/2012

Expel him

[norepublicanleftbehind]

02:35 AM on 02/22/2012

The college will more than likely sweep this under the rug and protect its football player. Teach him that athletic privilege encompasses a certain degree of misogyny and homophobia which he'll be allowed to practice if he makes enough money for his future bosses and brings enough $tatu$ to the school.

It would be great if they don't let him or the other kids off the hook, Instead of jail time how about community service in the community assaulted-battered women's shelters and lesbian services offices. Teach them how to to be together as people so we can finally end this garbage.

Ms. Gallager sounds like a fine young woman.

[Zippy1169]

09:55 AM on 02/22/2012

I actually think in many cases the community service your recommend may in fact be the best course of action. Jail rarely fixes problems and in most cases actually creates greater hate and problems. House arrest with serious time in Community Service, like a whole year of 40 hours per week. They have to feel it and then see the hurt they cause. Just a thought not thoroughly vetted.

[jockmama]

12:17 AM on 02/22/2012

'Roid rage.

[Mindy Czech]

10:00 PM on 02/21/2012

I wish that I said that this surprised me, but sadly it doesn't. Unfortunately, out lesbian women are often targets of harrassment due to their sexual orientation, and sometimes we're assaulted. It's happened to me on more than one occasion, and for some reason there are people that find this behavior acceptable. It breaks my heart. Yesterday, there was the story about the young woman who was punched in the face for writing the article in her school newspaper about Prop Hate, and today, there's this story. When will it end? This isn't simply violence against women- this is violence against women because they dare to not hide being a lesbian.

[norepublicanleftbehind]

02:37 AM on 02/22/2012

Already fanned!

[BooBoo Bob]

10:32 AM on 02/22/2012

Ditto. :0-)

[AngryHarpy]

09:39 PM on 02/21/2012

It's absolutely horrible, violence towards anyone like this is unforgivable and should be prosecuted fully.

Thankfully, justice will win out here. Even if he is not sent to jail for assault, he's got the fake ID and underage drinking charge. So, he'll have some fines at least and will be expelled from college most likely. I hope he has a lot of time thinking about what he did while flipping fries. Oh, and of course the victim should sue him for emotional distress and medical bills.

[susanbsbi]

05:12 PM on 02/21/2012

Gee, mi really wonder what will happen to him. He did but not et arrested, is that because he is a football player. Gee I am stupid I forget that colleges treat their football players as good and allow them to do what ever they want to do

[mollymac]

04:46 PM on 02/21/2012

I'm telling you; Colorado has more problems than a math book.

[rckymtn4]

10:18 AM on 02/22/2012

We are about mid-way between California and Florida. Eventually they all find their way here.

[Carl Mndz]

04:07 PM on 02/21/2012

More homophobic scum, it's sad but not surprising

[Lee Miller]

03:44 PM on 02/21/2012

I was impressed that the local TV station ran such a thorough story on it. Media outlets often ignore gay-bashing as too commonplace to be news.

[BooBoo Bob]

10:34 AM on 02/22/2012

It's becoming commonplace since gay rights issues are more visible these days.