Michigan football player Charles Winters may have been provoked by years of family troubles when he was arrested for beating his ex-stepfather into unconsciousness last week in Detroit.
When Winters' mother divorced 44-year-old Horace Davis in 1992 after an eight-year marriage, she claimed in divorce court papers that he had been abusive and had threatened to kill her.
Davis, who is wanted for violating parole, was allegedly beaten with a baseball bat into unconsciousness by Winters at a Detroit residence in the 19400 block of Blackstone Street at 11 p.m. last Tuesday, according to Detroit Police Department officials.
Winters' mother lives in the 19400 block of Blackstone Street on the city's west side, according to divorce court papers.
Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr said Monday that Winters would not play in this weekend's game against Ohio State due to his family problems, but that Winters was not suspended. Winters, a free-reserve safety, played in last Saturday's home loss to Penn State.
Keith Molin, Athletic Department senior associate director, said Winters was not being punished but simply would not play against Ohio State.
"It's not discipline or punishment," Molin said. "Given the circumstances that this young man has to deal with, there is more important things in life for him than playing in a football game this weekend."
Detroit police spokesperson Charles Redden said Winters may be charged with a crime this week. Winters was arrested last Tuesday night but later released pending further investigation.
Redden said that even though Winters was not currently in police custody, Winters could be arrested later and prosecuted for a crime.
"At this time, an out-of-custody warrant may be issued any day," Redden said.
Winters may also have violated both the Code of Student Conduct and the Rights and Responsibilities of Student-Athletes at the University.
Winters' brother, Malik, told The Detroit Free Press on Tuesday that Davis provoked Winters Winters last Tuesday when Davis arrived at his ex-wife's home to drop off a car.
"My brother stopped him before he could come in the house and told him to turn over the keys and don't come back," Malik Winters told the Free Press. Davis threw car keys toward the house before getting into a friend's car.
"He said something to my brother - something like, 'Be a man. We can handle this right now' - and it got my brother provoked," Malik Winters said.
Malik Winters told the Free Press he called his brother to the house that night after hearing Davis would be coming over.
Jessie Jordan, Davis' sister, told the Free Press on Sunday that the relationship between Davis and Winters' mother was "amicable" after their uncontested divorce four years ago.
But Earthy Winters charged that Davis "... has in the past threatened (Earthy Winters) with serious bodily injury (and) that (Davis') actions towards (her) is threatening severe and irreparable injury (and) that ... (he) did threaten to kill (her)," according to Wayne County divorce court papers.
Jordan told the Free Press her brother underwent surgery for six hours to repair a massive blood clot in his head caused by severe blows.
Davis was listed yesterday in critical but stable condition in Grace Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. He has been at the Detroit hospital since Nov. 12.
When Davis is discharged, he might face more jail time for a parole violation, said Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Gail Light.
The department issued a warrant for his arrest Nov. 8 when Davis stopped reporting to his parole officer Oct. 28, Light said.
"He would go to one of our institutions, and he would have a parole revocation hearing to decide whether to revoke his parole and put him in prison," Light said. "Not showing up for parole is a serious offense."
Davis has been in and out of the Michigan prison system since 1976 after committing armed robbery and breaking and entering, prison records state.
While in prison for two drug violations, Davis escaped from the Brooks Correctional Facility on July 20, 1992, in Muskegon. He was captured in February 1993 and received an additional two- to five-year sentence for the prison escape. He was paroled Dec. 15, 1995.