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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Students arrested on misdemeanor firearm charges

Two football players who were arrested last week on misdemeanor weapons charges after being confronted by an off-duty police officer are out on bond, according to court documents.Robert Leandro Henson, 21, and Stephen Eugene Hodge, 19, were arrested at about 12:15 a.m. April 20 at Southern Oaks apartment complex after a report by Officer K.D. Willingham, who was working security at the complex, according to a police report.

Both men told police they are residents of the apartment complex, located at 5500 S. Hulen St.

Henson and Hodge were charged Monday in Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 9 with unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to court documents, and Hodge was also charged with illegally discharging a firearm.

According to the police report, Willingham saw Henson holding a black handgun. Henson handed the gun to Hodge, according to the report, who “raised the firearm into the air and fired several rounds.” Willingham then identified himself as a Fort Worth police officer, pointed a shotgun at Hodge and told him to put the gun down, according to the report.

Willingham then detained the men and confiscated a .45 caliber handgun, Fort Worth police spokesperson Lt. Dean Sullivan said.

At the time of his arrest, Henson had three outstanding local warrants for class C misdemeanors, according to municipal court, in which he was granted community service.

Both were put in jail early April 20 and released after each posted a $1,000 bond.

The cases have been turned over to the Tarrant County district attorney, and, if convicted, they could face up to two years in county jail and a $4,000 fine, Sullivan said.

Head coach Gary Patterson did not return phone calls or e-mails to his office Thursday to comment about the arrests, and Mark Cohen, director of athletics media relations, said Patterson was busy with recruiting and could not comment.

“Coach Patterson addressed that in the paper,” Cohen said, referring to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Patterson told the Star-Telegram that Hodge and Henson are embarrassed about the incident and discipline will be handed out according to team policy. The players, Patterson told the newspaper, is likely to be suspended.

Henson’s cell phone was out of service, and Hodge did not return phone calls. Both men did not return e-mails seeking comment.

The arrests come less than a year after three scholarship athletes got into legal trouble, and three other athletes were charged with crimes within months of leaving the team.

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