Collegeville Borough Police. Photo by James Short.
Two teenagers have been charged, and two others have not been identified.
Two men have been arrested and charged with a violent on-campus beating of an Ursinus College student, in which they slammed his head into a light pole during the fight, concussing him, Collegeville Borough detectives said.
Marquel Emmanuel Holland, 19, of the 1300 block of Sark Court, Prince Frederic MD, and co-defendant Darius Malik Watson, 18, of 400 block of South Stret, Phoenixville, have each been charged last week by police with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, conspiracy to commit assault and disorderly conduct-fighting, according to charging documents.
According to the criminal complaint, Collegeville Police were called to a fight on Nov. 3 at 12:30 a.m. at 6th Avenue and East Main Street on the Ursinus campus, but learned all parties dispersed prior to police arrival due to help from Ursinus campus security.
Then, a little more than a half-hour later, police were called to another assault at Reimert Hall at the college at 708 Main Campus Dr., which was a continuation of the fight from a half hour prior, police said.
Police found the victim bleeding from the head and face, and the alleged assailants fled the scene, per the complaint. Later in the day, the victim sought medical treatment at an urgent care center and a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion, police said.
A witness told detectives that the victim was jumped for no apparent reason, and he was punched and kicked repeatedly, eventually falling on the ground where the assault continued, police said.
Video evidence from Ursinus College on Nov. 5 allegedly showed Holland, Watson and two other unknown individuals approach the victim, police. Watson allegedly violently shoves the victim, and then Holland allegedly sucker punched him in the face, per the affidavit. All four then take the victim to the ground, where they all begin to punch, and kick him, police said.
Holland and Watson are shown in the video driving the victim’s head into a metal light pole, police allege. All this occurred before Ursinus security arrives to break up the fight, police said.
Holland then tries to get in one last punch on the victim as officers help him up from the ground, police said.
It was later revealed that Holland had been actively searching for the victim after the first fight, entering dorm suites and waiting for him to return to the residence hall, police said.
Both defendants are each free on $10,000 unsecured bail and have a preliminary hearing set for Jan. 7, 2025 at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
