6 Notre Dame football players busted, 1 for tackling cop

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This photo released by the St. Joseph County Jail shows Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler. Butler was jailed Saturday after a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar in South Bend, Ind. | St. Joseph County Jail via AP

Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler was jailed Saturday after a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar, and five teammates were arrested in a separate incident when a trooper found marijuana and a loaded handgun inside their car during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Officers had to use a stun gun to subdue Butler in the altercation outside the Linebacker Lounge in South Bend, according to a probable cause affidavit.

South Bend, Ind., police spokesman Lt. Joe Galea said that after officers broke up a fight inside the bar they saw two women fighting outside and that Butler shoved one of the women. They said that when, an agitated Butler was told by officers to back away, he pushed the cops, then attacked one of them.

Butler is accused of tackling an officer to the ground, punching him several times in the side and stomach and pulling off his duty belt.

“He shouted profanities at the officers and started swinging his fist,” Galea said of Butler.

The St. Joseph County, Ind., prosecutor’s office said Butler faced possible charges of resisting law enforcement and battery to a police officer, both felonies. Butler was being held at the county jail on $10,000 surety bond.

Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter said Saturday that he’s seeking court approval for additional time to investigate the case so his office can “determine whether formal charges are appropriate.”

The officer who was attacked was taken to a hospital for treatment for minor injuries, including a sore wrist, South Bend police spokesman Galea said.

According to the affidavit, Butler apologized while he was being taken to jail, “stating that he had been incredibly emotional and intoxicated.”

Butler played in 12 games for Notre Dame last season, starting the regular-season finale against Stanford. He didn’t play in the Fiesta Bowl because of a broken foot. He also started twice as a sophomore in 2014. He had 11 tackles last season, seven coming on special teams. Irish coach Brian Kelly said in June that Butler would miss the beginning of the season with a broken left foot and could be out until October.

The five other players were arrested Friday night after the Indiana State Police said a trooper stopped a car in Fulton County about 35 miles south of South Bend for speeding. The trooper detected the odor of marijuana and with the help of a drug-sniffing dog, he found the marijuana and handgun, police said.

The university confirmed that those arrested were: cornerback Ashton White, starting safety Max Redfield, wide receiver Kevin Stepherson Jr., linebacker Te’von Coney and Dexter Williams, who’s one of three running backs expected to play regularly for the Irish this season.

All five were released Saturday afternoon from the Fulton County Jail in Rochester, where they had been held on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Redfield, Stepherson and Williams face an additional misdemeanor charge of possession of an unlicensed handgun.

University spokesman Paul Browne said that “any student arrested on a felony charge also faces dismissal from the university.

“The university will determine if additional sanctions should apply to any or all of the students charged,” he said.

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