Maine junior Michael [nl]Hamilton and sophomore Wesley Clark have been indefinitely suspended from the Black Bears after being charged with assault and aggravated criminal mischief in connection with an alleged beating of another Maine student.
Hamilton, 22, of Victoria, B.C., and Clark, 22, from Oakville, Ont., were among a group of people who went to a local apartment complex, Washburn Place, where police said Hamilton confronted a man who was with his ex-girlfriend. The two fought, and Clark allegedly joined in the attack as well.
“From what I gathered so far, it doesn’t appear that there were any other people punching and kicking,” said Orono police officer Chris Watson in the Bangor Daily News.
Maine athletic director Blake James issued a statement in which the Maine Student-Athlete Code of Conduct was invoked for the suspensions. The code of conduct works based on a point system for various infractions against university rules and local laws.
The suspensions, which are effective immediately, are of undetermined length. A meeting between the players and Black Bears head coach Tim Whitehead was expected Thursday.
The victim in the assault was reported in local news outlets as being Will Carroll, 21, a pitcher with the Maine baseball team. He was treated at a local hospital, receiving stitches above one eye, and went to police.
Hamilton and Clark were then arrested and later released from county jail on $5,000 bail. They are scheduled to appear in Bangor District Court on Dec. 23.
The incident, which involved at least 10 people, may result in additional charges, police said.
Hamilton, who scored 29 points his freshman year, then 18 last season, had tallied 0-3–3 in nine games this season before sustaining a knee injury. Clark had 2-1–3 in 11 games in 2004-05 and had not appeared in a game this year while recovering from a broken leg.
