Harbaugh expects 'criminal charges' for Spartans

2 years ago 39

1:10 PM ET

  • ESPN News Services

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jim Harbaugh expects the 4 suspended Michigan State shot players progressive successful roughing up 2 members of Michigan's squad to beryllium punished further, saying helium "can't ideate that this volition not effect successful transgression charges."

Harbaugh said that antiaircraft backmost Gemon Green was punched by a Spartan successful the Michigan Stadium passageway soon aft the fourth-ranked Wolverines bushed their in-state rival Saturday nighttime and that teammate Ja'Den McBurrows was attacked erstwhile helium tried to help.

McBurrows is seen connected a video shared connected societal media being pushed, punched and kicked by aggregate Michigan State players, who pulled him retired of the passageway and into a hallway that doesn't pb to either locker room.

Harbaugh said some players person injuries, adding that helium did not cognize whether Green, a starting cornerback for a 3rd consecutive season, would beryllium cleared to play Saturday nighttime astatine Rutgers.

"Right present we person an ongoing constabulary investigation," Harbaugh said Monday. "What happened successful the passageway was egregious. Sickening to ticker the videos, the ones that are connected societal media close now."

Harbaugh added that an ABC camera placed successful a "higher elevation" shows "much much of what took place" during the incident.

"There needs to beryllium accountability," helium said. "There needs to beryllium a full, thorough, timely investigation. I can't ideate this volition not effect successful transgression charges. The videos are bad. It's wide what transpired. This is precise unfastened and shut. As they say, ticker the tape.

"I'm coming from this from a position of being a parent. These young men are entrusted to maine by their families and to our program, and we person the work to each subordinate to dainty them similar our own, and I instrumentality that work precise seriously. An apology volition not get the occupation done successful this instance. There should beryllium superior consequences for the galore individuals that are culpable."

Michigan State manager Mel Tucker announced Sunday nighttime that linebacker Tank Brown, information Angelo Grose, antiaircraft extremity Zion Young and cornerback Khary Crump were suspended immediately.

Brown, Grose and Young are seen connected video getting carnal with McBurrows.

Video showing different space wrong the passageway shows Michigan State antiaircraft extremity Jacoby Windmon enactment his helmet backmost connected his head, crook toward Green and get progressive successful the altercation.

Windmon was not 1 of the 4 players suspended, and the grade of his engagement is not afloat known.

"Michigan State University shot halfway values see integrity, discipline, unselfishness, toughness and accountability," said Tucker, who made the determination aft "reviewing the disturbing physics evidence."

McBurrows and Green went up the passageway alongside the Spartans aft the crippled portion galore of Michigan's squad members were waving their rivals disconnected the tract and different Wolverines were celebrating adjacent the stadium's pupil section.

"They were walking up the tunnel," Harbaugh said erstwhile asked wherefore Green and McBurrows were not with the remainder of their teammates.

Green has hired lawyer Tom Mars, who has handled respective eligibility cases for assemblage athletes, to correspond him successful the battle case.

"When assemblage shot players brutally onslaught a subordinate of the opposing squad with their helmets, resulting successful the subordinate suffering a concussion and different injuries, an apology won't suffice," Mars said successful a connection provided to ESPN. "There has to beryllium terrible consequences for this benignant of misconduct. Not lone does Gemon Green merit to beryllium compensated for his injuries, terrible consequences successful this lawsuit volition deter others who mightiness deliberation they tin get distant with brutally beating an opposing subordinate and lone get a slap connected the wrist. I've got quality for the MSU players who did this to Gemon. They are going to consciousness the afloat wrath of the law."

University of Michigan Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton said Saturday nighttime that an probe has begun successful concern with Michigan State police, Michigan's diversion section and the Wolverines shot program. "The probe takes immoderate time," Overton said Sunday.

Tucker said the schoolhouse is moving with instrumentality enforcement, Michigan State and Michigan field leadership, and the Big Ten Conference to measure what happened, including identifying different players who were progressive successful the altercations and contributing factors.

"The archetypal student-athlete suspensions volition stay successful spot until the investigations are completed," said Tucker, whose caput was touched successful the passageway by a instrumentality successful the stands Saturday night. The manager responded by swiping the fan's manus away.

Michigan State president Samuel Stanley apologized for the "violent" skirmish.

"I'm highly saddened by this incidental and the unacceptable behaviour depicted by members of our shot program," Stanley said successful a statement. "On behalf of Michigan State University, my heartfelt apology to the University of Michigan and the pupil athletes who were injured.

"There is nary provocation that could warrant the behaviour we are seeing connected the videos. Rivalries tin beryllium aggravated but should ne'er beryllium violent."

Harbaugh said Monday that an apology is not enough.

The Big Ten said Sunday that it is gathering accusation and plans to instrumentality due action.

It was the 2nd consecutive crippled astatine Michigan that included an altercation successful the long, constrictive passageway that goes from the locker rooms to the field. On Oct. 15 against Penn State, immoderate heated words were exchanged, and Michigan players said Penn State players threw peanut food and jelly sandwiches astatine them arsenic the teams headed to the locker country astatine halftime of a adjacent crippled the Wolverines yet won 41-17.

Penn State manager James Franklin said afterward that a argumentation alteration was needed to supply a much orderly usage of the tunnel. Harbaugh said Franklin acted arsenic a "ringleader" and claimed the Nittany Lions stopped successful the passageway to forestall his squad from accessing its locker room.

ESPN's Blake Baumgartner, Tom VanHaaren and Adam Rittenberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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