Oct 13, 2005 4:43 pm US/Central
911 Call Released In Vikings Boat Party Case
(WCCO)
NOTE: This story contains language and subjects some may find offensive. Police on Thursday released a transcript of a 911 call in connection with allegations of lewd behavior by Minnesota Vikings players.
A woman called police around 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 6 to report some men had gotten out of a vehicle and urinated in her yard, according to the transcript.
The caller said, "There was a big shuttle bus limousine that pulled up alongside of my house, and there was like seven black men who got out and stopped and peed all over my yard."
The dispatcher asked, "How many?"
"There was like six or seven," the caller says. "There was a whole busload of them. But the bus driver stopped right alongside my house, and there was six or seven black men that got out, probably, I'd maybe say 19, 18, 19, maybe even 20."
After the dispatcher asks for the plate number, the caller said, "They're sitting at Al and Alma's."
Minnesota Vikings players allegedly took two Al and Alma's charter cruises out onto Lake Minnetonka on Oct. 6 for a party and engaged in lewd behavior, the charter company's attorney said.
Attorney Stephen Doyle said witnesses gave graphic accounts of what happened during the party to police. Doyle said some of the sex acts reported included, "Masturbation, oral sex, woman on man, woman on woman, toys, middle of the floor, middle of the couches, middle of the room."
According to Doyle, there were no drugs and no minors on the two boats and that not every Vikings player aboard acted inappropriately.
Doyle said the investigation into the party is now focused on finding dozens of pictures taken on board.
"Members of the entourage that were on both boats took enormously detailed photographs of a variety of sexual acts," Doyle said.
The party was allegedly organized and paid for by first-year player Fred Smoot and 10th-year player Lance Johnstone.
Doyle said the eight crew members are considering all options including civil lawsuits, but right now they are in shock.
"They got frightened," Doyle said. "They got petrified. They couldn't believe people did this."
Some sources have said many witnesses have been reluctant to come forward because they were intimidated, which has slowed down the investigation.
According to sources, many of the Viking star players attended the party, including quarterback Daunte Culpepper.
However running back Mewelde Moore was one of the few Vikings players to admit he was there. Moore said he saw none of the alleged behavior.
"That's crazy. Sex? Come on," said Moore.
At a regularly-scheduled appearance on KFAN, Vikings coach Mike Tice said, "I am not happy about the allegations."
Tice said he wants the investigation to be completed and he says he will discipline players, even if they are stars.
"However this plays out, these allegations, (we will) take steps necessary to deal with it, but again these are allegations," Tice said.
If criminal charges are filed in this case, they are expected to be misdemeanors, possibly for solicitation for prostitution and lewd behavior.
Sgt. Haans Vitek of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on whether any Vikings were involved.
"From what we're hearing, it certainly sounds that way, but we want to get it right from the people that were there," Vitek said. "We're trying to sort out all the facts and see if any of it even rises to a criminal act, or whether it was just people who were offended."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday the league was aware of the allegations involving the team and had no comment.
No charges have been filed as of Thursday.
(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)