Five Notre Dame football players were arrested Friday night after police stopped them for speeding and reported finding a handgun and marijuana in the vehicle.
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The other four players – Te’von Coney, Kevin Stepherson, Dexter Williams and Ashton White – are being punished internally, per Brian Kelly.
When the officer who intiated the traffic stop approached the vehicle he smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the auto, a police dog was then utilized to conduct a “free air sniff” around the vehicle, which indicated the presence of illegal narcotics. He also faces an additional charge for possession of a handgun without a license.
Notre Dame football player Devin Butler has been formally charged with two felonies, stemming from an arrest outside the Linebacker just off campus early Saturday morning.
Notre Dame safety Max Redfield has been dismissed from the football program, and cornerback Devin Butler is suspended indefinitely following their respective weekend arrests, Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly announced Sunday afternoon in a statement. That’s when Butler pushed the officers and tackled one of them before delivering several body punches and removing the officer’s duty belt.
Butler was charged with resisting law enforcement and battery against a public safety official, according to the St. Joseph County (Ind.) prosecutor’s office. According to the report, the officer – and his police dog – smelled marijuana.
Dressed in a white shirt and black tie, and wearing a walking boot on his injured left foot, Butler appeared before St. Joseph Superior Court Magistrate Elizabeth Hardtke, who entered a preliminary not-guilty plea for the Notre Dame cornerback.
“He shouted profanities at the officers and started swinging his fist”, Galea said of Butler.
These incidents represent the first known arrests of Notre Dame football players since reserve Will Mahone in June of 2014 on five counts, including three felonies.
Butler cursed at the officers and caused injuries to Knepper before Butler was subdued with a taser, the affidavit said.
While the university has not yet released any information regarding any discipline against the other four football players that were with Redfield on Friday night, any sort of action taken by Kelly and the team is inevitable.
Redfield was a two-year starter who was fourth on the team in tackles last season.
Butler is entering his senior season at Notre Dame.
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The Notre Dame team, ranked No. 9 in ESPN’s preseason college football poll, completed training camp on Friday in preparation for its September 4 opening game at the University of Texas.
