Football bus investigation to last into next week
A criminal investigation into an incident on a Glacier High School freshman football bus returning from a game in Missoula is taking longer than expected.
Originally anticipated to be completed Friday, the investigation now is expected to be finished on Wednesday.
The Sept. 12 incident reportedly involved six assailants and as many as eight victims in what has been described as an assault that included aspects of sexual molestation.
Six players were kicked off the team and suspended from school.
According to School Resource Officer Jason Parce, one reason for the delay is new information that he needs to follow up on.
“Once you get into something like this you start to get new information and new leads and there’s more people you find you need to talk to,” Parce said Friday. “I’m trying to do everything I can to get all the information I can and follow up on everything. I’ll explore every avenue that I need to to get the truth.”
Parce also said sensitive information shared by the mother of one of the alleged victims had “very likely” influenced some of the people he had yet to interview, further complicating his work.
He said it is possible she didn’t understand the importance of the information and the need to protect the integrity of the investigation, but that he also understood her position.
“These things happen,” Parce said. “We need to basically make sure that we take that into consideration in our investigation and that’s what I’m doing now. There are more things I need to do now because of that.”
He said the investigation will now be complete by Wednesday, at which point he will confer with his supervisors and provide the information he has to them and to the attorney’s office. At that point, a determination will be made about whether any criminal charges will be filed.
“If I was in the position of one of these parents, I’d want to know right away, too,” Parce said. “But we’re asking the public to just be patient with us. I’m doing everything I can right now to make sure I get all the information because this is a very serious thing, and we’ve known that all along.”
He explained that these types of investigations happen often, and that it takes more than just sitting down with people involved and having a short conversation, and, as the adage goes, there are two sides to every story.
Three temporary restraining orders were served on Friday in relation to the case. Parce said other restraining orders were issued earlier in the week by the alleged victims against some of the accused.
On Friday evening, the school board issued a press release about the incident.
“What happened during that two-hour bus ride is under investigation by the Kalispell Public School district as well as the Kalispell Police Department,” the board statement said. “Until these investigations are completed it is our responsibility to remain unbiased. However the district would like to assure the public of several things.
“First, both the school district and the police department are taking this situation seriously. No one can gain by prejudging — from either understating or overstating — the specifics of the event. Until the accuracy of the events can be verified from all sources it is in the best interests of all involved to reserve judgment.
“Second, as unfortunate as this is, investigations like this take time. But in the end those responsible will be held to account for their actions, and care will be extended to the victims to deal with their experiences. Before all the facts become known however, it is understandable for emotions to run high, and for unsubstantiated rumors to spread throughout the community.”
The statement concluded:
“Be assured we are dedicated to see this situation resolved in a fair and just manner — to hold accountable those responsible, and to protect those not directly involved.”