Late Friday night/early Saturday morning, six Notre Dame football players were arrested in two separate incidents. Overnight, the details surrounding one of the arrests were made known.
Irish cornerback Devin Butler was arrested on charges of battery to law enforcement and resisting law enforcement after an incident outside of a drinking establishment just off the South Bend school’s campus. According to the Associated Press, a probable cause affidavit stated that “a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar.”
The affidavit also stated that police were forced to use a stun gun to subdue Butler. From the AP: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.
Both of the charges Butler is facing are felonies.
“Any student arrested on a felony charge also faces dismissal from the university,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “The university will determine if additional sanctions should apply to any or all of the students charged.”
Butler has played in 37 games his first three seasons with the Irish. He started two games in 2014 and the regular-season finale in 2015. He was projected as a starting corner exiting the spring before a foot injury in mid-June was expected to sideline him for up to four months.
In addition to Butler’s situation, five other Irish players were arrested following a separate incident Friday night.
Senior safety Max Redfield, sophomore linebacker Te’von Coney, sophomore running back Dexter Williams, redshirt freshman cornerback Ashton White and freshman receiver Kevin Stepherson, were arrested on one count each of misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Additionally, Redfield, Stepherson and Williams were charged with one count each of possession of a handgun without a license.