Colorado State football player found guilty of assaulting another student last January

A Colorado State University football player has been found guilty of assaulting another student near campus last year.

On Thursday, Avery Morrow was found guilty of assaulting another CSU student who rode by Morrow's parked car on his longboard near the Stadium Apartments by Canvas Stadium on Jan. 17, 2023 — the first day of classes that semester.

The prosecution argued that Morrow intentionally and unjustifiably chased after the victim on his longboard, knocked him down and punched him several times after the victim touched or hit Morrow's car as he passed it. Morrow's attorney argued that the victim provoked his client and that Morrow reacted in a heat of passion.

A jury found Morrow guilty of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, on Thursday after about three hours of deliberation.

Morrow had initially been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault. Shortly after his arrest, prosecutors elevated the charge to second-degree assault, a Class 4 felony, due to the severity of the victim's injury. His trial was on the felony assault charge, but the jury found him guilty of the lesser misdemeanor assault charge instead.

During the three-day trial, Deputy District Attorney Michael Mangione said the evidence he presented — including witness testimony and video footage from the area — showed Morrow seriously injured the man and "it was senseless, it was violent, it was intentional."

The victim testified Wednesday morning that he was riding his longboard home from class around noon and, while stopped briefly at Lake Street waiting for traffic to stop so he could cross the street, he noticed an SUV parked in a no parking zone. Frustrated with where the car was parked, the victim said he made some gestures — including throwing his hands in the air and giving the driver a thumbs up — as he rode behind the car to get around it.

The man said he put his hand on Morrow's car — which the victim's girlfriend, who was on the phone with him at the time, described as a louder "bang" noise — as he rode past. That's when Morrow got out of his car and "chased (the victim) down, tackled him to the ground and punched him in the face several times," Mangione told the jury during his opening statement.

The victim told the jury he estimated Morrow punched him four or five times while he was on the ground with Morrow on top of him.

Four witnesses from the Stadium Apartments — including three who were roommates at the time — testified to witnessing at least part of the fight. One of the roommates took a video of the end of the fight, which was shown to jurors. The witness from a different unit went out to help the victim and took photos of Morrow's vehicle.

The witnesses said they heard Morrow yelling some profanities and something about not touching his car as he ran up and pushed the victim off his longboard from behind and started punching him. The victim's girlfriend also said she heard profanities and yelling over the phone.

After Morrow got up and drove away, the victim said, he called 911 and spoke to a police officer who then took him to the hospital. A CT scan revealed he had a fractured left orbital bone, which two doctors testified about. He told the jury his vision is still impaired more than a year after the assault.

But Morrow's attorney, Erik Fischer, argued there was no evidence presented of ongoing medical issues from the victim's injury. Fischer highlighted comments made by the victim in the days and weeks following the assault, including telling the investigating officer that his eye was "almost back to normal" less than two weeks after the assault.

Fischer pushed the jury to further question the credibility of the witnesses, arguing during closing statements that "every single witness in this case disputed something another witness said."

Witnesses from the Stadium Apartments who testified included the three roommates, who all described the assault slightly differently. Mangione attributed those differences to their different views of the incident. In his closing statement Thursday, he said "the bigger picture is crystal clear" despite some discrepancies in witness testimony that Fischer continued to point out.

Morrow faces up to one year in jail and a fine up to $1,000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 18.

What does this mean for CSU football?

Morrow is a running back for the Colorado State football team. He was suspended upon his arrest in January 2023, and that suspension continued through spring practices that year.

"Following a six-month team suspension and completion of university requirements through the student conduct process, Avery Morrow is permitted to return to student activities, including those with the football program," the university told the Coloradoan in August.

Morrow played through the fall 2023 season.

“We are aware of the outcome of today’s proceedings involving student-athlete Avery Morrow. His status on the roster is unchanged,” CSU athletics said in a statement Thursday.

CSU begins spring practices March 19.

Coloradoan sports reporter Kevin Lytle contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado State football player found guilty of misdemeanor assault