White Memphis golfer charged for ‘clubbing black player in face, causing serious brain damage,’ as NAACP calls for attempted murder inquiry and victim’s family bail ‘low’ $5,000
- A white Memphis golfer was charged with assaulting a black player with a club
- Memphis police say Wesley Caldwell, 22, hit Mark Coleman in the head
- The NAACP said Coleman, who is black, is still on a ventilator because of his injuries
- Coleman’s family criticized Caldwell’s bail, which was set at just $5,000
- The NAACP called for attempted murder charges before Caldwell’s arraignment
- Now the organization is seeking an investigation to file more charges
- There are currently no indications that the attack was racially motivated
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A white Memphis golfer has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly headbutting a black player, requiring emergency surgery to repair ‘significant brain damage,’ according to authorities.
Memphis police say Wesley Caldwell, 22, of Nesbit, Mississippi hit Marc Coleman in the head with his club on Dec. 3. The incident at the Links course at Whitehaven allegedly started when Caldwell got angry when Coleman hit him with ball in his hole.
A witness, who was playing with Coleman, said Caldwell grabbed Coleman’s ball, threw it across the course, and then used a golf club to hit Coleman on the left side of his face. Coleman fell to the ground, and was later taken to the hospital with a fractured skull and bleeding on his brain, according to WREG.com.
Coleman, who is black, remains hospitalized on a ventilator, Vann Turner, president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP, told Fox 13 Memphis. There are currently no indications that the attack was racially motivated.
Memphis police say Wesley Caldwell, 22, of Nesbit, Mississippi hit Marc Coleman in the head with his club on Dec. 3. The incident at the Links course at Whitehaven allegedly started when Caldwell got angry when Coleman hit him with ball in his hole.
Monday, Caldwell was charged with aggravated assault and released on $5,000 bail – an amount the NAACP found unacceptably low, given the defendant’s prior arrest record.
‘Well, there was an aggravated assault,’ said Turner. ‘There was a threat against a witness in his past. There were two reckless driving cases [and a] DUI and so he’s young, but he’s had instances where he’s acted violently in the past,’ Turner said.
Coleman’s family also objected to the $5,000 bond, arguing it was too low, given the charges.
‘For a bond hearing and the bond is so low, it’s unacceptable,’ the victim’s brother Stephon told WREG.
‘Why is it a $5,000 bond for the damage he did to my son,’ added Willie Walker, the victim’s father.
The incident occurred at the Links at Whitehaven, a public course in the Memphis area
Coleman has been described as a community leader, and the NAACP is now pushing to see the assault charge upgraded to ‘attempted murder.’
‘The Memphis NAACP is demanding justice for one of its dedicated supporters and members, Mr. Marc Coleman, who is still in hospital today suffering from brain injuries after he was violently attacked,’ read a statement from Tuesday, ahead of Caldwell’s arraignment. ‘We join the call to upgrade the attacker’s charges based on the facts and circumstances of this case.’
Caldwell is due back in court on January 17.
The NAACP argued that Coleman was trying to defuse a tense situation when he was attacked.
‘Mark is not throwing punches this year,’ Turner told Fox 13 Memphis. ‘He was trying to defuse the situation and walk away and he was attacked like he was and now he’s fighting for his life.’
Coleman is described as a community leader, and the NAACP is now pushing to see the assault charge upgraded to ‘attempted murder.’
