ZACHARY – A teenage girl’s mother says an incident that led to a Tulane football player’s arrest also left her daughter with horrific injuries.
According to WWL-TV, Denisha Coleman is the high school senior who police say was attacked by Tulane football player Tyler Judson.The Zachary Police Department said Thursday that a juvenile is also being charged with simple battery.
Coleman, who is only 70 pounds and 5’1” tall, was allegedly punched in the face early Sunday morning by 185-pound Judson.
The group was outside of a Waffle House in Zachary. Police believe the altercation stemmed from an earlier encounter at a party earlier that night.
One punch, a witness said, flipped Coleman face-first onto the pavement.
Coleman’s mother, Desiree Coleman, said the two didn’t know each other, and her daughter didn’t pick a fight. Still, she ended up hospitalized, in intensive care, with horrific injuries. Four days after the punch, both of her eyes are still swollen shut.
“She had multiple facial fractures. She has to have surgery, but it’s not clear what the surgery’s going to be until some of the swelling goes down,” said Desiree Coleman.
Desiree met her daughter at the hospital, where a nurse was able to bring her back to see Denisha. Police say she is currently in stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit.
“I said ‘Don’t worry baby.’ I said ‘Don’t worry about what I see. You’re going to be ok.’ I said, ‘But I just need to step out and talk to the nurse.’ But I needed to get out because it was that horrible,” the mother said.
Judson played in four games as a safety for Tulane University football. He was booked on battery charges two hours after the attack.
Judson later posted bail and was released.
Tulane Athletics wrote in a statement, “Tulane Athletics is aware of Tyler Judson’s arrest. He has been suspended indefinitely from the Tulane football program. Tulane Athletics will have no further comment at this time.”
The Colemans want to see him prosecuted. Denisha has undergone CT scans and X-rays, and will likely need surgery for eye fractures and a broken nose.
It will also cost this high school senior her walk across the stage this Friday.
“I just know that my baby was an innocent person that didn’t deserve this,” said Desiree.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.