Coach Accused of Throwing Punch in Tourist's NYC Death

Jamill Jones charged with misdemeanor assault
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 10, 2018 5:21 AM CDT
Updated Aug 10, 2018 6:37 AM CDT
Coach Charged With Assault in NYC Tourist's Death
This photo from Nov. 28, 2017, shows Wake Forest assistant coach Jamill Jones.   (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

A single punch may have destroyed the life of a rising college basketball coach—and ended the life of a Florida man who was visiting New York City for his stepsister's wedding. Police say Jamill Jones, an assistant coach at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, surrendered to police early Thursday after learning that they were looking for the man who punched Boca Raton resident Sandor Szabo in Queens around 1am Sunday, CNN reports. Szabo—who'd apparently been knocking on the windows of vehicles looking for an Uber he ordered before his phone died—fell backward, hit his head on the sidewalk, and died in the hospital Tuesday after being taken off life support.

Police believe an irate Jones punched Szabo because the man had banged on the window of his SUV. The coach, who was released on his own recognizance, faces a misdemeanor assault charge and it's not clear whether more charges are likely, the New York Daily News reports. Jones—who is 35, the same age as Szabo—previously coached at Central Florida, Virginia Commonwealth, and Florida Gulf Coast, the AP reports. His attorney, Alain Massena, described the incident as a "tragic accident" after a court appearance Thursday. "The Jones family sends their deepest condolences and sympathies to the Szabo family," he said. "We won't be making any further comments." (More New York City stories.)

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