Four MSU football players from UM tunnel incident could have charges dismissed

Four Michigan State football players charged with assault stemming from their roles in an altercation in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium in late October took a step Friday toward having those charges dropped.

Angelo Grose, Itayvion Brown, Brandon Wright and Justin White each entered a diversionary program during a hearing at 15th District Court in Ann Arbor, a move that, after each player worked with the probation office, would lead to charges being dismissed.

“The most important outcome of today’s hearing is this case is on a straight line to being dismissed upon motion of the prosecutor,” said Max Manoogian, Grose’s attorney. “It’s going to happen outside of court. There is going to be no criminal responsibility whatsoever; there are no admissions being made, no pleas being tendered.

“All that happens today is we’ve set a date for this case to be dismissed in the future.”

Each of the four players was charged with misdemeanor assault after being involved in the altercation following Michigan’s 29-7 victory over Michigan State on Oct. 29. After the game, as the Michigan State players were walking up the tunnel to the locker room, a fight broke out with Michigan player Ja’Den McBurrows. Grose, Brown, Wright and White were all involved in the altercation.

"We can confirm that the young people scheduled for court appearances today have taken the first step in our pre-plea diversion program — one which neither requires a guilty plea nor a conviction be entered," Washtenaw County chief assistant prosecuting attorney Victoria Burton-Harris said in a statement.

"Under that program, participants work with a case manager to create and successfully complete a plan for accountability. Upon completion of that plan, charges are dismissed. Our office has had significantly high success with participants completing this program, and expect these young people to be no different if they elect to proceed with this diversion program. We wish all parties involved well."

Two other players have also been charged with misdemeanors — Jacoby Windmon and Zion Young — though they were not in court on Friday.

A seventh Michigan State player — Khary Crump — was charged with felony assault after swinging his helmet at Michigan’s Gemon Green. He pleaded guilty early this month to misdemeanor charges of assault and battery and disorderly jostling. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 31 and is unlikely to serve any jail time.

All seven players involved in the incident were suspended by coach Mel Tucker for the final four games of the regular season, while all but Crump have been reinstated to the team. Crump, if he were to remain on the Michigan State roster, still faces an additional eight-game suspension levied by the Big Ten.

As for Grose, White, Wright and Brown, they are scheduled to appear again on Feb. 24, but there’s a chance too that hearing doesn’t happen and a final date will be set in six months or less to dismiss the case, Manoogian said.

“There would never be a plea in this case,” Manoogian said. “None of these players committed criminal acts. They’re going to do some good work in the community, do a little bit of philanthropic work, jump through a couple of hoops and the prosecutor’s going to dismiss the case on their own.”