6 Notre Dame football players arrested in 2 incidents
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Notre Dame running back Dexter Williams was one of the six players arrested in two separate incidents Friday night in Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS >> Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler was jailed today after a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar, and five teammates were arrested in a separate incident when a trooper found marijuana and a loaded handgun inside their car during a traffic stop.
Officers had to use a stun gun to subdue Butler in the altercation outside the Linebacker Lounge in South Bend, according to a probable cause affidavit.
South Bend police spokesman Lt. Joe Galea said that after officers broke up a fight inside the bar they saw two women fighting outside when Butler allegedly shoved one of the women. Butler was agitated and when officers told him to back away he allegedly pushed the officers and then attacked one of them.
The affidavit says Butler tackled an officer to the ground, punched him several times in the side and stomach and pulled off his duty belt.
“He shouted profanities at the officers and started swinging his fist,” Galea said of Butler.
The St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office said Butler faced possible charges of resisting law enforcement and battery to a police officer, both felonies. Butler was being held at the county jail on $10,000 surety bond.
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But Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter said in a statement Saturday that he’s seeking court approval for additional time to investigate the case so that his office can “determine whether formal charges are appropriate.”
The officer Butler allegedly attacked was taken to a hospital for treatment for minor injuries, including a sore wrist, South Bend police spokesman Galea said.
According to the affidavit, Butler apologized while he was being taken to jail, “stating that he had been incredibly emotional and intoxicated.”
The five other players were arrested Friday night after Indiana State Police said a trooper stopped a car in Fulton County about 35 miles south of South Bend for speeding. The trooper detected the odor of marijuana and with the help of a drug-sniffing dog, he found the marijuana and handgun, police said.
The university confirmed that those arrested were: cornerback Ashton White, starting safety Max Redfield, wide receiver Kevin Stepherson Jr., linebacker Te’von Coney and Dexter Williams, who’s one of three running backs expected to play regularly for the Irish this season.
All five were released Saturday afternoon from the Fulton County Jail in Rochester, where they had been held on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Redfield, Stepherson and Williams face an additional misdemeanor charge of possession of an unlicensed handgun.
It was not immediately clear if any of the six players had attorneys who could comment on their behalf.
Notre Dame also confirmed the arrest of Butler, who Irish coach Brian Kelly said in June would miss the beginning of the season with a broken left foot and could be out until October.
University spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement that “any student arrested on a felony charge also faces dismissal from the university.”
“The university will determine if additional sanctions should apply to any or all of the students charged,” his statement said.
14 responses to “6 Notre Dame football players arrested in 2 incidents”
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Well, young fellas, that’s how it rolls there in Indiana sometimes — home of unlikely-to-be-reelected, now turned Drumpf sockpuppet Pence. You do the crime, you gwine do the time down there. They doan cotton to no fancy pants collegians in Fulton County. Guess you found out dawgs ain’t always man’s best friend.
Notre Dame, the legendary football powerhouse, Catholic school and now the bling bling-laden golden dome of the school of thuggery. Notre Dame, one of the richest and most powerful football program in the country with their own network, NBC, to promote their school, is now heading in a direction that they may find to be un-Christian. With the hiring of Kelly as their head coach much to the dismay of his former players, the Bearcats, who had to go to a bowl game without him as he was literally uprooted from their school by Notre Dame. This selfish and classless act by Notre Dame serves to underscore this school’s true nature as an un-Christian-like school that would leave another in such a predicament. And Kelly was part and parcel to that betrayal of University of Cincinnati. No longer is character important to the school that now places more emphasis on winning games and generating revenues that come with it. Where blue chip players are a dime-a-dozen where Christian faith takes a backseat to commercial success. Where they will stop at nothing to succeed including snatching a blue chip player in the form of the infamous Manti Te’o who had made a commitment to the University of Hawaii. Nothing is too small apparently to this school that wants to win at all cost. When we see the hallowed name of the school we think of the golden dome and the legendary football players that has graced it’s history with the likes of Joe Montana. Now, we are treated to a host of academic cheaters and thuggery that would make a rap artist proud. Where has Notre Dame gone? Is this what it has become? Notice that they mentioned that any student charged with a felony will be dismissed. I highly doubt that these football players will be dismissed as their charges will only be a misdemeanor. They will still be playing on the team in no time after a likely short suspension. With their deep roster of blue chip players this incident will not hurt them too much. They will still roll on to be placed in the top ten rankings without a doubt. But still, is this what Notre Dame wants to be all about? A football powerhouse devoid of their Christian values?
A typical day in the life of a Notre Dame athlete. Google will reveal an astonishing amount of misbehavior by the Notre Fame football team.
Ideal June Jones recruits.
Well, they are the Fighting Irish.
Now we will see where their real values are! Makes UH look pretty darn good!
r u lowering your standards, nd?
This is not germane to Notre Dame–these players are hand fed, full scholarship, treated like heroes–all the universities have this problem. As Alex Karras said, “I’ve been to college two terms–Truman’s and Eisenhauer’s).
That’s how the U of Florida and The U became national football powers by recruiting players with off the field issues.
But it’s such a good Catholic school.
Hang up your cleats already…
Sex at Baylor, booze and brawling at ND and no one is surprised. Is BYU next? (Noted Clinton hater Ken Star resigned from Baylor’s law school yesterday.)
Betcha dey all dee same race.
Little brains and mucho muscle, the makings of a pro player.