Were it not for a Rutgers football player and an assistant coach following the chain-of-command, a disturbing situation that unfolded Tuesday could’ve turned tragic.
Rutgers linebacker Izaia Bullock was arrested yesterday and charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder. It’s alleged that Bullock had initiated a plot to murder two family members of an acquaintance, the names of whom have not been revealed.
According to a report from nj.com Wednesday, and citing five people either inside the Rutgers football program or close to Bullock, the ending of a lengthy relationship with his girlfriend had left Bullock distraught. That breakup then allegedly led to Bullock making comments that were construed as threatening towards the unidentified woman’s family.
What followed, per the report, was a teammate reporting alarming comments made by Bullock to an assistant coach, who in turn passed along what he was told as required by university policy before the information ultimately ended up in the hands of the proper authorities.
From the website’s report:He confided in the Rutgers coaching staff about his struggles with the breakup and missed a recent practice to deal with the issue. The coaching staff directed him to a university counselor, whom he met with for 90 minutes on Monday. Bullock then made alarming comments to an unnamed teammate following that session, according to the individuals with knowledge of the situation.
The teammate reported what Bullock had said to a strength coach, who then followed mandatory protocol and informed a superior. The information was eventually given to Rutgers police on Monday.
In addition to the information obtained from those connected to the program and the university, the Bridgewater Courier News is also reporting that an audio recording was turned over to police that shed light on Bullock’s alleged plot. The recording was obtained by an individual who was allegedly being recruited by Bullock to serve as his getaway driver.
Obviously, Bullock was dismissed from the Scarlet Knights football program following his arrest.