Felony charges filed following fight at Dupo High School powder puff football game
Three adults have been charged with felonies for allegedly fighting with high school students during a powder puff football game in Dupo, police said.
The powder puff game — a fundraiser typically played between junior and senior girls — on Sept. 26 was part of the school’s homecoming week activities.
According to Dupo Police Chief Kevin Smith, the argument began around 8:30 p.m. when 34-year-old Ashley E. Jones, the aunt of a high school student, attended the game to address the other students she said were bullying her niece.
She and her father, 56-year-old Brian J. Jones, became involved in a physical altercation with multiple other adults and students, Smith said. A third person, 52-year-old Jeffrey W. Snider, also was involved in the fray, according to St. Clair County court documents.
According to the charging documents, Snider hit one man in the face and pushed another in the chest. Brian Jones is accused of grabbing a man’s chest, while Ashley Jones allegedly hit a woman in the eye and two men in the face.
Ashley Jones was arrested that evening, and Snider and Brian Jones turned themselves in later, Smith said. They all were charged with aggravated battery on Nov. 15: Ashley with three counts, Snider with two and Brian with one.
According to Smith, the investigation took weeks because so many witnesses gave different accounts, and there were people involved in the fight who were defending themselves. After interviewing everyone, police brought charging recommendations to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In a phone interview Monday, Ashley Jones said she was defending herself and her father after her father was attacked with pepper spray.
Snider’s next court appearance is Dec. 13, and Ashley Jones’ is Dec. 6. There is no pending court appearances for Brian Jones.
The Joneses’ lawyer Madelyn Daly declined to comment on the case. Snider’s lawyer, Gregory Skinner, could not immediately be reached.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 12:48 PM.
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