A former Georgia State University football player faces assault charges after brutally attacking a campus dining worker with a metal chair, FOX 5 reports.
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Carnell Earnest Hopson, a former student-athlete and 2016 GSU graduate, was allowed into the employee entrance of Piedmont Central Dining Hall. Police said an employee mistook him for a fellow staffer.
Once he began chowing down on the food, the dining hall staff realized that he was not an employee and asked him to leave.
Hopson allegedly lashed out after being told to leave and attacked the male dining hall worker with a chair, leaving him bloodied.
The former defensive end fled the dining hall on foot but was later arrested by GSU police.
He is being held in Fulton County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, simple battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. The injured worker is expected to make a full recovery, according to police.
Family Says Former GSU Athlete Struggles With Mental Health
In a public statement, the family of Carnell Hopson said the recent incident at Georgia State's dining hall is part of an ongoing cycle of mental health episodes they have been trying to manage for about eight years.
The family said it first noticed significant changes in Hopson's behavior while he was playing football at Georgia State. Hopson joined the program in 2013 as a defensive lineman. He played four seasons with the Panthers, according to the family's statement.
The family expressed concern that repeated head impacts during his football career may have contributed to his symptoms. Hopson has shown changes in behavior, judgment and emotional regulation, the family said.
They suspect his symptoms stem from repeated head trauma and possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Hopson's family pleaded with media outlets to avoid labelling him as simply a homeless intruder.
"Carnell is a son, brother, uncle, college graduate, and former Division I football player. [He is] a person who has been struggling with serious mental and behavioral health issues for years," the family wrote. They added that Hopson recently enrolled at GSU to pursue another degree.
"Carnell is more than a viral video. He is more than an arrest. He is more than the words 'homeless man' in a headline," the family wrote.
They also described difficulties navigating the mental health care system and finding long-term support.
"The reality is that Georgia has extremely limited resources for someone with the magnitude and complexity of Carnell's condition," the family wrote.
