Downey regrets bad publicity

Friend says guard was surprised by arrest, thought incident was in past

By SETH EMERSON - semerson@thestate.com

Devan Downey was surprised to hear he would be arrested by USC police on Monday.

The star point guard for the USC men’s basketball team thought an incident nine days earlier had been resolved, according to former Gamecock Carey Rich.

Rich said he spoke to Downey on Tuesday, a day after Downey was charged with simple assault and battery, a misdemeanor. The player was arrested after fellow student Curtis Lowery changed his mind and decided to press charges.

Downey regrets the negative publicity the incident has brought the basketball program and the university, according to Rich.

“He just hopes people understand and give him the benefit of the doubt,” Rich said.

Downey is due back in court next month. He was released on a personal recognizance bond late Monday after spending a few hours at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

Lowery, a 19-year-old sophomore, alleges Downey hit him once with his palm during an altercation on campus.

Lowery initially declined to press charges, saying Downey apologized, but changed his mind after hearing Downey was telling friends a different version of the incident. Lowery said Monday he thought Downey “needs to be taught a lesson.”

Lawyer Neal Lourie, who is representing Downey, said he found Lowery’s comments “very interesting.”

“Other than that, I’m still looking into the facts of the case and have no comment,” Lourie said.

Attempts to reach Downey and Lowery on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Downey’s mother, Candance White, told the Rock Hill Herald that she spoke to her son, who wanted to sit down and explain the situation to her.

“There’s two sides to every story, but it’s 10 days later,” White said. “The kid didn’t want to press (any) charges, next thing you know they are going to arrest him? It’s a bunch of mess, a bunch of mess.”

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.