Yikes! Gavin McKenna charged with Assault.

Sheriff Coffee

Sheriff Coffee

Well-known member
Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna was charged following an alleged altercation in downtown State College late Saturday night. The incident occurred along the 100 block of South Pugh Street, with a report filed at 10:35 p.m.

onwardstate.com

Gavin McKenna Facing Felony Charge After Incident On January 31

McKenna faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
onwardstate.com onwardstate.com

State College police charged McKenna, 18, with felony aggravated assault that “attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference,” misdemeanor simple assault, and two summary offenses for disorderly conduct and harassment. If found guilty, McKenna faces up to 20 years in prison on the felony charge alone.

According to sources, the team had been at a downtown bar with friends and family following the outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. During the incident, McKenna allegedly assaulted an unidentified individual, leaving the victim with a broken jaw.

McKenna is considered a potential first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He has recorded 32 points this season, tallying 11 goals and 21 assists, and scored against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium.

Onward State has reached out to Penn State Athletics for comment and will update this story if a response is received.


This story will be updated with more information as it is released.
 
It used to be we beat up each other, or some frat boys. Once in a while we would beat up town kids, or some hicks.
 
What was he doing at a downtown bar with friends? Was it more of a restaurant, or has PA let 18-year-olds in like Iowa does (or did at one point)? Did he have a fake ID? He's getting the full Penn State experience, it would seem. Listening to Bad Bunny as I type this. I am learning a little Spanish on DuoLingo, but what I've heard isn't my cup of tea. Gavin needs someone like the old Motley Crue lawyer, whoever that guy was. If you never saw it watch the Behind the Music Motley Crue episode. Looks like he should be a mob lawyer if he wasn't. Vince Neil killed a member of another band and seriously injured a couple more driving drunk in his Pantera. The lawyer convinced the injured people they'd get more money if Vince was touring and getting paid. Though he may have some NIL money, the first pick should get him a lot more. I wouldn't think this would affect his draft stock that much as long as the felony is dropped. "We decided not to draft him even though he was the best player because we only want someone who assaults people on the ice?" I wonder if he could be deported over this? Canada is apparently really strict about any kind of criminal background. A guy I worked with said he couldn't get in with his son's travel team due to a public urination citation as a youth. We let anybody in far while, so Gavin may be OK. Want to hear the full facts. If he was the aggressor and unprovoked some punishment is in order. If someone provoked it - he shouldn't react, but some leniency should be given.
 
Sheriff Coffee said:
Her who gets physical first loses in court
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Unfortunately, at the end of the day, that’s kind of the way it is. Right? With the world we live in and criminal law, it is one of the downsides for a young man like this coming to Penn State, and living in a fishbowl. I would hope my son’s would not attack someone if a guy called me a pussy in a bar. We would not run like scared little kids, but I would really like to think they could see the consequences of what was going to happen. I knew a guy here locally who watched his father get sucker punched at a bar in Ridley and die after an Eagles game.
 
Sheriff Coffee said:
Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna was charged following an alleged altercation in downtown State College late Saturday night. The incident occurred along the 100 block of South Pugh Street, with a report filed at 10:35 p.m.

onwardstate.com

Gavin McKenna Facing Felony Charge After Incident On January 31

McKenna faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
onwardstate.com onwardstate.com

State College police charged McKenna, 18, with felony aggravated assault that “attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference,” misdemeanor simple assault, and two summary offenses for disorderly conduct and harassment. If found guilty, McKenna faces up to 20 years in prison on the felony charge alone.

According to sources, the team had been at a downtown bar with friends and family following the outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. During the incident, McKenna allegedly assaulted an unidentified individual, leaving the victim with a broken jaw.

McKenna is considered a potential first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He has recorded 32 points this season, tallying 11 goals and 21 assists, and scored against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium.

Onward State has reached out to Penn State Athletics for comment and will update this story if a response is received.


This story will be updated with more information as it is released.
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The Lions have a old precedent. Gary Klingensmith was the 1963 TB and he was deaf. He talked with a pronounced defect. He could not hold his beer. Ralph Baker was always with him to keep him under control.
During summer term, a kid mocked a drunken Gary in a bar. Gary broke his jaw with one punch, then ran back to our house and hid. He was not charged because he was responding not aggressive.
Times were very different then. Gary was a great guy and later was head football coach at Galudet Univ and Juniata High for 50 years.
If McKenna story is similar, which it seems to be, punishment with mercy seems justified. Gary K quit drinking.
 
The Spin Meister said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2019273133413318895
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sadly, if McKenna punched the ahole before the ahole got physical, he's in deep doodoo. That is a big "if" as we don't know if the ahole got up into McKenna's face or threatened him in any way. In ohio, that is a felony 2 and comes with a mandatory 2 years in jail. Now prosecutors always double what they really want so the perp will plea bargain. My early bet, which could always be way off and assuming the physical stuff was started by mcKenna, is that he'll plea down to a misdemeanor which will come with a fine and probation. He'll also probably have to pay the ahole's medical plus a nice fee for him to not fight the plea bargain. As much as hollywood depicts guys as heros who punch out someone who is a verbal ahole, that isn't real life.

First, the kid is now a public figure and has to learn to laugh aholes off because he's going to see a LOT of them over the next few years especially now that he reacted this was and put a target on himself.

Second, will PSU allow him to play more games this season with a felony charge? he may leave state college and never come back. So much for the great pub the outdoor hockey game created.

Third, will this affect his draft status? He is only 18 and doesn't have much of a track record. The fact that he was defending his mom helps but NHL teams don't want their players in jail or in civil court, they want them on the ice. Is he a hot head or can he control himself.

None of this excuses the ahole who is the worst of the worst. But aholes are allowed to talk all they want. But the person that gets physical first will loose.
 
The Spin Meister said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2019273133413318895
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"...stalking is considered a form of violence, particularly when it involves a pattern of behavior that instills fear or emotional distress in the victim."
If an inebriated, irrational, aggressive stranger with some type of perceived axe to grind leaves an establishment only to wait outside to continue the aggression, then be ready to defend yourself and anybody else who may be in danger. But that's me.
 
Frank Lee said:
"...stalking is considered a form of violence, particularly when it involves a pattern of behavior that instills fear or emotional distress in the victim."
If an inebriated, irrational, aggressive stranger with some type of perceived axe to grind leaves an establishment only to wait outside to continue the aggression, then be ready to defend yourself and anybody else who may be in danger. But that's me.
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Pennsylvania, as you probably know has stand your ground laws. If the individual who was punched had exhibited menacing type of behavior, and McKenna was approached, and felt threatened outside, he may have a good case to plead this down. No doubt there are videos showing what happened. Reports say two punches were thrown by McKenna. Hope those two punches don’t look too bad on video. I feel the same way as you on this.
 
Frank Lee said:
"...stalking is considered a form of violence, particularly when it involves a pattern of behavior that instills fear or emotional distress in the victim."
If an inebriated, irrational, aggressive stranger with some type of perceived axe to grind leaves an establishment only to wait outside to continue the aggression, then be ready to defend yourself and anybody else who may be in danger. But that's me.
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^^^THIS^^^

The reports are that the drunk 21yo was verbally harassing McKenna's mother, wouldn't stop, got kicked out, and THEN waited outside of Doggies for them so he could continue the altercation. If that's accurate, that is F'd up and scary. I don't know if stalking is the correct legal definition. Is this considered one incident or two? But the guy waiting outside the bar certainly creates/meets some legal definition for pre-meditation or for creating a threatening situation.
If I'm in that situation and that guy reengages on the street and won't let it end, I would have no misgivings about using force to end the threat and protect my mother.
 
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NittanyLion99 said:
^^^THIS^^^

The reports are that the drunk 21yo was verbally harassing McKenna's mother, wouldn't stop, got kicked out, and THEN waited outside of Doggies for them so he could continue the altercation. If that's accurate, that is F'd up and scary. I don't know if stalking is the correct legal definition. Is this considered one incident or two? But the guy waiting outside the bar certainly creates meets some legal definition for per-meditation or for creating a threatening situation.
If I'm in that situation and that guy reengages on the street and won't let it end, I would have no misgivings about using force to end the threat and protect my mother.
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And if it's a local resident, then why start an altercation with a Penn State athlete or his family, particularly a high profile one?
 
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