It has been nearly two months since the post-game incident on February 26 at Dowagiac High School, and the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against those involved on Tuesday.
Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz tells us three Berrien County individuals are facing charges of assault and battery, as well as disturbing the peace.
“Once we had all of the information assembled, we reviewed it for appropriate charges,” Fitz says. “This included looking at police reports, as well as videos that were available. As a result of that, the digestion of that information, we determined that the charges of assault and battery and disorderly person were appropriate for multiple individuals.”
Devontae Jones, 28, from Berrien County has been charged with one 93-day misdemeanor for assault and battery and one 90-day misdemeanor for disturbing the peace.
Vallen Johnson, 43, is facing two 93-day misdemeanors for assault and battery and one 90-day misdemeanor for disturbing the peace.
Additionally, a juvenile has been charged with one misdemeanor for assault and battery and one misdemeanor for disturbing the peace. Because the juvenile resides outside Cass County, this case will be transferred from the Cass County Juvenile Court to the Berrien County Juvenile Court.
“When it comes to juveniles, Michigan statutes and court rules are very specific that a juvenile, it doesn’t matter where the crime occurred, the case is turned over to the county in which the juvenile lives for the processing of that case,” Fitz says. “So the charges will be initiated in whatever county that the charges occurred in, but then they’re transferred to the jurisdiction where the juvenile lives.”
These charges arise from the incident at Dowagiac High School on February 26, where certain individuals threw objects at a game official following the conclusion of the game in which Benton Harbor lost to Buchanan 36-39 in the MHSAA semi-final districts.
The Cass County District Court will schedule the arraignment for a later date.
