6 Notre Dame players arrested, 1 for tackling policeman
Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler was jailed August 20, 2016, after a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar. (St. Joseph County Jail)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler was jailed Saturday 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.
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."
Butler played in 12 games for Notre Dame last season, starting the regular-season finale against Stanford. He didn't play in the Fiesta Bowl because of a broken foot. He also started twice as a sophomore in 2014. He had 11 tackles last season, seven coming on special teams. Irish coach Brian Kelly said in June that Butler would miss the beginning of the season with a broken left foot and could be out until October.
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.
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.