EXCLUSIVE: Jared Grasso Arrested by North Smithfield Police
Saturday, October 07, 2023
Bryant men’s basketball coach Jared Grasso was charged by North Smithfield Police, GoLocal has learned. He is presently on a "leave of absence" from the program.
According to documents secured by GoLocal, North Smithfield Police Department charged Grasso with “Failure to Stop for Accident Resulting in Damage to Vehicle."
The incident took place on Sunday, October 1 — two days after Grasso went on leave.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGrasso is being charged under Rhode Island General Law § 31-26-2 -- Duty to stop in accidents resulting in damage to vehicle:
The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, but shall immediately return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of § 31-26-3. A stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.
Any person failing to stop or comply with these requirements under the circumstances shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and/or his or her driver’s license or operating privilege in the state may be suspended for a period up to six (6) months, and/or he or she may be imprisoned for a period not to exceed 6 months.
The charge is a misdemeanor.
Bryant Program
This week, Grasso had announced, “It was time to get off Twitter.”
Phil Martelli, Jr. is currently the acting head coach.
He joined the Bryant staff in April 2018 as an assistant coach and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in August of 2020. He begins his sixth year on the Bryant sidelines in 2022-23.
He might be better known as being the son of legendary coach of Phil Martelli of St. Joseph.
For the past few years, Grasso has been in the spotlight for a series of controversies.
A 2022 editorial in GoLocal questioned the direction of the Bryant program and Grasso’s leadership.
The next season, Grasso and Bryant were involved in an ugly fight with Syracuse University.
Longtime Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim Ripped Grasso
The 78-year-old Boeheim aired out his frustrations at the end of his postgame press conference, “His players didn’t come and shake hands. They ran off the court, two or three of them,” Boeheim told reporters, per team-provided video. “I don’t know why you would do that. We lost and we shook hands. That’s what you do, win or lose. That’s what you do.”
Boeheim didn’t stop there as he ripped Grasso more for his response to the incident.
“He gave me a sarcastic apology, which fits him,” Boeheim said. “It really wasn’t an apology; that’s why I didn’t really accept it. He said he apologized; it wasn’t that kind of apology.”
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