The Marquette Police Department has confirmed it is investigating an assault at an off-campus party involving two Northern Michigan University students who claimed to be members of the NMU football team.
The two students were not football players but were passing themselves off as current members of the team, said Det. Lt. Michael Kohler of the Marquette Police Department. Kohler expected the department to finish its investigation soon. Until then, Kohler said he would not be able to provide further details.
The two students identified themselves at the party by their nicknames. The North Wind contacted two NMU students who go by the same nicknames. The students said they knew nothing about the police investigation and denied involvement. The students, both juniors, said they had some “disciplinary issues” their freshmen year, but had been staying out of trouble.
After the students were contacted by The North Wind, they called the Marquette Police Department and asked if they were under investigation. They said they were told they were not under investigation. The two students wondered if other people were using their nicknames while committing crimes.
“We’re trying to stay under the radar,” one of the students said.
Because no charges have been filed, The North Wind is not identifying the students or the nicknames used.
NMU Director of Public Safety Michael Bath said campus police assisted in identifying the individuals involved, but because the incident occurred off campus, the investigation is being handled by the city police.
The assault and subsequent police investigation have been a subject of speculation on campus for weeks. One post on an NMU Facebook page erroneously accused current football players for the assault. “We don’t want them here in Marquette. It’s no wonder they can’t win a football game, they’re too busy acting like thugs and spitting on their scholarships.”
Chris Ostrowsky, head football coach at NMU said he was aware of the assault but that those involved are not current members of the football team. He said the individuals involved might be former football members and still have uniforms and other related team gear. Ostrowsky said the incidents should not represent the football team, and that the team does not support conduct of that nature.
The North Wind • Oct 11, 2014 at 1:56 pm
If anybody would like to share information to The North Wind for us to investigate this further…please email us at editor.northwind@gmail.com or call us 906-227-2545 and leave a message. Please identify yourself and leave a contact for us to reach you.
Student Athlete • Oct 9, 2014 at 9:21 pm
I think it is ridiculous to think that past NMU football players wearing team gear would “pretend to be two current players” and use their nicknames. A current NMU football player tweeted “i ain’t doing that bad stuff that’s gonna jeopardize my football career anymore..” a few days after the incident. That seems like an admission of guilt to me. As a student athlete at Northern, I can say that I am extremely embarrassed to be grouped with people who assault their peers and get away with it. The city of Marquette, the university, and Coach Ostrowsky should be taking action to make this campus safe, not to cover up the incident.
Slhockey08 • Oct 9, 2014 at 8:40 pm
these kids are a bunch of thugs. They get away with everything. If it’s the assault that left the victim hospitalized, it was definitely football players. The team captain tried to fight twofold them because it was at his house. The coach is from the inner city and covering it all up… Coincidence? I think not. Get them out of town, they’re a joke
James Pierce • Oct 9, 2014 at 7:55 pm
J.G. my friend got 66 stitches and the back of his head put back together…He got jumped by athletes and I won’t name which to be “fair” and all that police information got “lost”…. All I’m saying is our community is suffering and the females on this university are scared to walk home alone…that’s pretty bad. I’m not sure why you are getting so defensive, there usually is a reason for that.
J.G. • Oct 9, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Hey James Pierce, I think the bigger issue is the fact that your liberal professors haven’t taught you how to accurately sift through information. That’s a shame, because you could have had potential, but you’ll go the way of the rest of your numbskull generation…down the toilet.
A rumor is a rumor is a rumor, and one thing college campuses are never short of (besides liberal whacko’s) are rumors. Next time remember this: What you HEAR and WHAT YOU SEE and WHAT EXISTS ON PAPER are very different things.
What’s the solution, you might be asking? Well, next time we get a big snow storm and it’s below freezing out, go outside and take a nice nap without your jacket on.
North Wind • Oct 9, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Kayla,
Thanks for commenting. If you know of someone who was involved, please email us at editor.northwind@gmail.com or call us 906-227-2545.
North Wind • Oct 9, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Meagan,
Thanks for your comment. As the Fourth Estate in our government, the media have an ethical duty to ask suspects if they would like to air their side of the story. That’s what we did. We have legal recourse in this country and just because someone is arrested doesn’t mean they are guilty. So, yeah, seek comment from people who may be involved in investigations.
North Wind • Oct 9, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Thanks for commenting James. I’m sure from a reader standpoint it can seem frustrating that the paper hasn’t reported things as you see them. The problem is that there are ethical rules and rules of law. The paper just can’t report what someone says about someone. We have to back it up. Otherwise, it’s libelous. I don’t know about you, James. But the North Wind doesn’t have many millions to pay out in libel suits. So we try to stick to the ethical and legal standards, which is you don’t report names of suspects until they are arrested. You don’t identify suspects until they are arrested. We also don’t put people in a bad light. These are all legal terms. But essentially it means you have to have facts not just opinions.
Kayla • Oct 9, 2014 at 1:28 pm
The victim had very bad injuries and could have been dead if an ambulance had not been called immediately. It’s so disturbing that I am representing a school that is covering this horrific crime. They need to be kicked off of the team and kicked out of school. Please get out of my peaceful hometown!
Meagan • Oct 9, 2014 at 12:52 pm
If the Northwind knows the policy department is conducting investigations should they really be contacting possible leads?
James Pierce • Oct 9, 2014 at 11:51 am
This has to be one of the most biased articles I’ve read all year. I’ve heard countless stories about our football team and nothing is being done. Even the quarterback from the University of Florida got suspended for being accused of rape….we are not Florida. I don’t understand why are paper and administrative staff is protecting such a crappy program, even if it was the hockey team which is still no Florida, shouldn’t we be more concerned about the well being of all of our students and not the selected. We receive emails to walk with buddies like this is Detroit, it’s Marquette but yet we have people coming in here and ruining this great city and college town and what do we do as a university? Protect the ones who are harming the unprotected. Step up to the plate Northwind for the sake of the student body.