Who is Aaron Beasley? Tennessee linebacker who brutally abused kitten and 'locked it in toilet bowl' suspended
Aaron Beasley, a 20-year-old linebacker on the University of Tennessee college football team, is facing indefinite suspension from all team activities on alleged account of animal cruelty. The ambitious player, known for his athletic prowess, reportedly abused his girlfriend's roommate's six-month-old kitten. The kitten, who goes by the name Nugget, was injured severely and was diagnosed with brain damage and internal hemorrhage, among other injuries.
The Knoxville Police Department has confirmed with WBIR that they are investigating the report of animal abuse against a University of Tennessee football player. Meanwhile, the kitten's owner Kaylee Scarbrough has organized a GoFundMe for Nugget's treatment.
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Who is Aaron Beasley?
Aaron Jalen Beasley is the 20-year-old son of Evan Beasley and Crystal West, hailing from Franklin, Georgia. He is majoring in Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee and has received the James P Purdy Athletic Scholarship. Aaron Beasley was a star player at Heard County High School in Georgia, where he led his school to a 13-2 record and helped win the Georgia Class AA State Title as a senior in 2018. In 2019, he appeared in nine games as a freshman where he finished with two tackles, including one stop against Indiana in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
According to the 2021 Spring Football Roster of the University of Tennessee, Aaron played eight games in 2020 as a sophomore. He played in the position of a reserve linebacker and totaled seven tackles and a forced fumble. His performance earned him accolades and he is considered a potential future star.
However, his alleged involvement with horrific animal cruelty has now put his career in jeopardy. "We have received the incident report from the Knoxville Police Department. Aaron Beasley has been suspended indefinitely from all football team activities as we await further information," A Tennessee Athletics spokesperson informed TMZ about Aaron.
'I just want my baby to be okay'
The fundraiser 'Help Nugget get healthy' was launched four days ago, where Kaylee Scarbrough detailed the brutal torture Aaron Beasley had allegedly inflicted on her kitten.
"...I came home this morning to find my 6 month old kitten under a dresser hiding and not letting anyone touch him. When I picked him up he screamed and couldn’t walk, come to find out my roommates boyfriend had hit and kicked him, locked him in the toilet bowl, and held him upside down by his tail," Scarbrough wrote.
She informed that they had to rush Nugget to the emergency room immediately. Medical examinations revealed that he had brain damage and would face difficulty in walking.
"...he has a bleeding hemorrhage on his kidney caused from internal bleeding from being kicked, clots in his bladder, and he is currently in an oxygen tank. My heart is absolutely broken for him and I just want my baby to be okay and to stop animal cruelty," Scarbrough added.
The GoFundMe has raised $6,303 so far thanks to over 200 donors and has already crossed its goal of $4,200.
Police had spoken to the pet owner's roommate, who happens to be Aaron Beasley's girlfriend as well as another roommate of the two. According to Aaron's girlfriend, they found the cat eating leftover food in her room, which was a recurring issue. Aaron then locked the animal in a bathroom and released it after a few hours when he ran back into the owner's bedroom. His girlfriend denied seeing Aaron hit the kitten or put him in the toilet.
However, the other roommate claimed that she heard Aaron's girlfriend that night saying, "You can't do that" to him and started crying. She added that she had a text from her saying Aaron put the kitten in the toilet.