Cal football player run over twice; saves coed from attack

Contra Costa Times ^ | 6/29/5 | Jay Heater

[SmithL]

BERKELEY - Mike Tepper rode along Telegraph Avenue, past the spot where he nearly was killed early Sunday morning.

He noticed that blood stains remained on the street along with the skid marks made by the Chrysler used to run him over.

Those were sobering reminders of a harrowing incident that left Tepper, a freshman offensive tackle for Cal's football team, with a broken fibula, severe ligament damage and a dislocated tibia in his right leg.

The injuries seemed minor considering that Tepper had been run over twice. Berkeley police arrested Berkeley's John Ray Smith and Oakland's Calvin Kelly and charged them with assault with a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest.

Tepper and a friend, Cal senior volleyball player Camille Leffall, were crossing Telegraph at Dwight Way about 1:15 a.m. when a Chrysler pulled alongside them. "The driver said, 'Hey, babe, what are you doing?' to Camille," said Tepper, who is 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. "She said she wasn't interested. We kept walking, but we only got about five feet when the car pulled up alongside us into the crosswalk. They kept hitting on her so I stepped in front and said, 'Hey, we're going to meet some friends. Can we just get by?' "

According to Tepper and police reports, as Tepper and Leffall tried to cross behind the car, the vehicle shifted into reverse and headed toward them. "I saw the driver had his hand on the steering column and I thought that this guy was going to punch it," Tepper said. "So I hit Camille across the chest and threw her."

Although Tepper managed to toss Leffall out of the direct path of the car, the front, passenger side of the vehicle blasted into them both. The severity of the impact was lessened for Leffall because Tepper already had sent her sprawling backward.

"We both got hit, but Mike got run over," said Leffall, who suffered cuts and scrapes and an injured back. "It's a good thing he pushed me out of the way, because my body couldn't have handled (being run over). I probably would have had my foot amputated.

"It was really nice of him. He was trying to protect me."

Tepper wasn't so fortunate. "The car hit me, and I hit the ground, and the tire ran over my leg," Tepper said. "I looked back to my right, and the guy puts it in drive and runs over me again."

Again, Tepper's right leg was crushed under the tire before the vehicle drove off.

Fortunately for Tepper, Berkeley Lt. Arnold Lui was a block away in an unmarked police car. He called to get Tepper assistance and took off after the Chrysler.

Lui said the driver of the Chrysler turned off his lights, but after several blocks hit another vehicle. The driver and passengers ran from the vehicle, but Berkeley police managed to apprehend four of them. Lui said he wasn't sure how many people were in the car. Leffall said there were five. Only Kelly and Smith face charges at this time.

Although Tepper won't be able to play football in 2005 because of his injuries and subsequent surgery, he said a quick response by Berkeley police saved his life. "It seemed like only about 10 seconds before two cop cars were there," said Tepper, who was recuperating at his apartment in Berkeley on Wednesday. "I was in shock, and Camille was crying. I looked at my hand, and the blood was like wet paint dripping off. Camille was saying, 'I'm so sorry.' I was telling her, 'You didn't run over me.'

"From what the police told me, the guys who ran me over were not drinking, not on drugs. They were sober. What kind of people would do something like that?"

Tepper was transported by ambulance to Alta Bates Hospital. "The police had put tourniquets around my calf, and when the ambulance got there, a nurse was pumping morphine into me. They all did an amazing job ... they saved my life. It took doctors at the hospital about an hour to stop the bleeding because it had ripped a blood vessel that leads directly to my heart."

On Tuesday morning, Tepper had surgery. "They put a plate and nine screws into me," Tepper said. "I can't put any pressure on my right leg for eight weeks. Then they will take out the screws and plate. In November, I should be able to begin jogging. It will be 2006 before I can start running again."

Leffall still is suffering from back pain and emotional trauma. "I have to walk past that intersection to go to school, and it is really, really tough," she said. "I don't think they found all the guys who were in the car, so I am constantly watching my back. This has overwhelmed me ... the emotions you have. We are getting hit by cars driven by crazed maniacs. It takes away your sense of security."

Tepper's father, Gus Tepper of Cypress, said he will keep checking with the Alameda County District Attorney's office to make sure Kelly and Smith are prosecuted. Court dates for the two have yet to be scheduled.

Although "outraged" by the incident, Gus Tepper said he isn't surprised that his son acted in such a heroic manner. "I am proud of him," Gus Tepper said. "This could have been a very ugly situation. But in other situations, Mike has done the same thing. At parties, if some guy is getting picked on, Mike will get in the way."

"To tell the truth, I don't know how I did it," Tepper said. "I just reacted.

"I credit that to Coach (Jeff) Tedford. He teaches us how to be football players with class. He just doesn't teach us football, he teaches us character ... how to be men."

[over3Owithabrain]

Black on white hate crimes are rampant. The leftist press is burying it. There is one group nowadays that hate all the others the most, and that is the Farrakhan/Jackson/Sharpton-brainwashed blacks.

[norton]

"Maybe now all you East Coast guys will quit with the "Pac Ten is soft" talk!"

Fortunately it seems he's there for the football and not the politics.
(I hope)

[Carry_Okie]

It didn't say but I've got the picture in my mind that the low-lifes were white.

I've lived in the Bay Area all my life. All I can tell you is that such is extremely unlikely in that neighborhood.

[whd23]

Why aren't the perps names given, unless there is a politically correct reason to do so?

Reading is fundamental:

"... Berkeley police arrested Berkeley's John Ray Smith and Oakland's Calvin Kelly..."

[rabidralph]

Because the victims weren't cops?

[garyhope]

Not really. One of the bigger "African-American" rappers and porn criminals last name is Kelly. Perhaps you know this and were being ironic.

[MortMan]

No, I think she wants to stop the goblin, not make him laugh and pick .22 bullets out of his teeth.

Then shoot him in the nads.

[Horatio Gates]

The media is burying the story. Those that do mention it ignore race.

I just saw a brief news clip of this black racist a-hole in court. They had a nano second video clip of him in court that showed only his left arm. Couldn't really tell any physical descriptors. more MSM spoon fed pablum

[Mr. Jeeves]

I guess it took the Contra Costa Times five days to figure out how to edit this story for maximum political correctness. There is a definite "let's pretend it doesn't happen" attitude toward black thuggery when it extends into middle class areas around here. If this happened in Richmond and a black football player was the victim, they might have reported the story on Monday in a relatively straightforward manner. If it had happened in Concord and the suspects were white, they would definitely have reported the story on Monday in perfect detail.

The media seems to think that the remedy for past discrimination against blacks is to ignore or downplay current black criminal activity. But people aren't stupid - those who want to know the truth can read between the lines.

[r9etb]

Why aren't the perps names given

The perps' names were given: "Berkeley's John Ray Smith and Oakland's Calvin Kelly."

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

There were no gas stations or crowded places open on this road. I was totally freaked out. I did write down his tag number - but what would I do -

Learn to use a big bore revolver...

[skeeter]

The media is burying the story. Those that do mention it ignore race.

Yet the same media is aflutter because a white kid beat a black kid in the process of stealing his car with a baseball bat in Brooklyn. "Hate crime" doncha know.

[Dashing Dasher]

I just saw Mike Tepper being interviewed on the news. His leg is broken in several places - multiple screws, etc.

He will have to red shirt this year - but is expected to come back fully.

[TC Rider]

If you do get something, don't get a snubby revolver. I don't understand why everyone recommends snubby revolvers for women, especially since most of them have to be in marginal calibers (.32, .38 Special) to be controllable by the intended user.

First, not all snubbies are .38s. Here's a shot of my Colt King Cobra in .357.

Admittedly, most snubbies today are .38 specials with 5 shots. Most new .38s will handle +p ammo which is a very effective load for up close social work.

While Glocks are great guns (I've owned several), the revolver is simpler to operate and more reliable.

Why snubbies for women? Because the 13oz snubbie in the purse is more effective than the 42oz 1911 in the safe, or for that matter 34oz of loaded Glock 30 in the safe.

My always carry is a Taurus 85 Ultralight with a concealed hammer and a ported barrel. I sometimes carry more, but never less.

[Oberon]

If it were 1918, you could get an air-cooled Vickers mounted on your stunt plane. Now THAT would turn things around...

[Dashing Dasher]

Unfortunately, it's California.

"Lowlifes are our friends" - blah blah

[Dashing Dasher]

I'll try to mount this on the little plane.

[jpsb]

If one is going to buy a derringer, buy one that takes 4/10 shot gun shells, at least then you get some serious stopping power and you don't have to aim real good. I like a 357 revoler.

[jpsb]

Bump.

[RogueIsland]

The .45 ACP is, IMHO, the most effective overall pistol round.

Keep your eye on the .45 GAP pistols coming out now for carry. The .45 GAP produces virtually identical ballistics to the .45 ACP and can be packed in a smaller platform. It looks to be one of the nicest developments in the CCW world in some time.