Discerning fact from fiction on Lobbestael

WHEN NEWS BROKE today about a weekend arrest of Cougar quarterback Marshall Lobbestael, a certain picture was presented -- that the Cougar quarterback was passed out in a vehicle at the police station and was arrested for a minor in possession. But the facts appear to be quite different than what was initially reported. CF.C talked to Paul Wulff on the subject.

"I think once again that what's being portrayed in the media right now is not accurate. It's all a little sensationalized right now," Paul Wulff told CF.C.

A media report said Lobbestael was arrested for an MIP after having passed out in a pickup truck at the police station. The report further said police officers had earlier in the evening seen him carrying an unconscious woman.

Wulff would not detail the facts of the case but Cougfan.com has learned from reliable independent sources that: 1) Lobbestael was not "passed out", 2) that the woman he was helping to walk was not unconscious, 3) that Lobbestael spoke with police on two occasions just prior and was not arrested.

Update: A different news report later quoted a Pullman police officer saying Lobbestael was "slumped over with a grocery bag of vomit between his feet". CF.C has since learned it was instead a car trash bag, similar to what someone might put on a stick shift, that contained some McDonalds wrappers and other garbage, but no "vomit".

Lobbestael was first questioned by police when they arrested the woman he was with, but he was not cited then. Lobbestael then enlisted a friend to drive him to the police station to pick up the woman. After arriving, he was told by police it would be an hour or two until she would be released.

After Lobbestael (age 19) returned to the friend's pickup truck, the friend went out on foot to get some food and Lobbestael, sometime after 1 a.m., closed his eyes and did fall asleep. He woke up immediately when a police officer knocked on the window, the officer then administered a test that included shining a flashlight in his eye and following the eye's movement and he was subsequently cited for being a minor exhibiting the signs of having consumed alcohol (rather than an MIP).

It is customary at Washington State for a player to be suspended following an arrest.

"We will do our normal team protocol -- suspension until he's reinstated. We will move quickly to do so and move on," said Wulff.

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