University of Michigan send results of Michigan-Michigan State brawl investigation to prosecutor
The University of Michigan Police Department has completed its criminal investigation into the Oct. 29 “incident in the Michigan Stadium tunnel” between the football teams of Michigan and Michigan State.
In a statement released 45 minutes after the Wolverines’ 34-3 win over Nebraska on Saturday in Ann Arbor, UMPD Deputy Chief of Police Melissa Overton said the case is now in the hands of the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office for review. She added that her department collaborated “with our law enforcement partners and Michigan State University” and “thoroughly investigated what occurred.”
“We understand and appreciate your interest in this unfortunate and unusual incident,” Overton wrote in the statement. “Consistent with our commitment to transparency and due process, we will not share further information pending the prosecutor’s office review.”
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It is unclear if any of the participants in the postgame altercation from either team will be charged or when Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit or his staff will respond to the report. The Big Ten also has not issued a statement or punishment on the matter two weeks after it occurred.
the Spartans’ 27-21 win over Rutgers in East Lansing, where Michigan State played for the second straight week without eight players who were suspended indefinitely in the three days after the event: linebacker/defensive end Jacoby Windmon, defensive back Angelo Grose, defensive end Zion Young, defensive end Itayvion “Tank” Brown, defensive end Brandon Wright, defensive back Khary Crump, defensive back Justin White and defensive back Malcom Jones.I was right in the middle of the Michigan-Michigan State scuffle. Here’s what I saw.
“Those guys will be suspended until the investigation has taken place. And then at that point, we will regroup,” Tucker said. “We’re just taking one day at a time … based upon the information that we have, and that’s what we’re doing. It is what it is.”
An attorney representing one of the Michigan State players in the criminal complaint alleged Thursday that at least one of the physical altercations was started by Michigan player.
Green has been in uniform for the past two games since the incident, not getting into last week’s win at Rutgers but playing Saturday against Nebraska. McBurrows did not dress for either game and has not played this season.
It was the third confrontation since last season involving the Wolverines and an opponent inside the Michigan Stadium tunnel to the teams’ locker rooms. Two weeks before the Michigan State game, Michigan and Penn State got into an apparent verbal altercation in the tunnel at halftime of their game. The Wolverines and Ohio State had a similar situation in the same spot during their game at the end of last season.
csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.