Answering questions on Gavin McKenna following felony assault charge
In response to the news of Gavin McKenna being charged with felony assault following an alleged incident Saturday night, many subscribers reached out via email and social media with questions about what this means for both McKenna and Penn State moving forward.
Rather than address those inquiries individually, I figured the best course was to publish the answers here — an extension of yesterday’s mailbag, so to speak.
Before we get to the questions, here’s a recap of what we know about the charges, based on our reporting earlier today and some new information learned since that was published late this afternoon.
— McKenna was arrested Saturday night and is facing four charges:
Aggravated assault — attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference (felony)
Simple assault (M2)
Harassment — subjecting another to physical contact (S)
Disorderly conduct — engaging in fighting
— According to State College Police, the incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. McKenna was arraigned on the charges before Judge McClain and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. next Wednesday (Feb. 11).
— According to the criminal complaint filed by Patrolman Lucas Sharer, officers were called to Mount Nittany Medical Center in response to an alleged assault. Upon arrival, they observed a man being treated for a broken jaw and a missing tooth. Police said the man “could hardly speak,” and that his injuries required surgery, which he underwent on Monday. His jaw will be wired shut for approximately two weeks.
The police media release identified the victim as a 21-year-old male.
— Two witnesses told officers that McKenna allegedly punched the man in the face twice following an exchange of words. The witnesses said they recognized McKenna as a member of the Penn State hockey team.
— Police said the incident was captured on State College Borough street cameras, which allegedly show McKenna throwing two punches and striking the man. Officers also said security footage from Doggie’s Pub on Pugh Street showed McKenna leaving the bar shortly before the alleged assault.
— Eyewitness sources told College Hockey Insider that many members of the Penn State team gathered for a postgame outing Saturday night following the game at Beaver Stadium. According to those sources, an individual unrelated to the team was allegedly verbally harassing McKenna and a member of his family who was in attendance. An alleged physical altercation followed outside the establishment.
Alright, let’s get to your questions.
The following questions were submitted via email, Subscriber Chat, and social media. Questions may have been edited for brevity, clarity, and formatting.
Troy (Email): Is Penn State going to suspend him for this? Or will the Big Ten or NCAA? I can’t imagine a scenario where he plays this weekend. Right?
For now, at least, this much is clear — McKenna won’t be playing this weekend — though that has more to do with the calendar than the case itself. Penn State is idle, with the Nittany Lions not back in action until Feb. 13, when they travel to Michigan.
McKenna’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11, two days before that game. The timing of the bye week provides a brief pause. It’s a chance for all parties to let the dust settle before decisions are made about how, or if, this will impact his availability moving forward.
