Summer incident leads to assault charge against hockey senior Fox

Michigan senior defenseman Chris Fox was charged yesterday with "assault with intent to do great bodily harm" stemming from an incident that occurred on June 15, 1997.

According to Jim Halushka, the deputy prosecutor in charge of warrants and investigations in Oakland County, Fox slashed a man named Robert Thomas across the face with a hockey stick. The incident, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, occurred during the championship game of a pick-up hockey league at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Township.

"Fox, completely unprovoked - according to the officials - brutally attacked (Thomas) and caused severe damage," Halushka said. "He knocked out four teeth. Thomas has had two root canals and is going to have surgery again."

Fox

Fox declined to comment on the situation until a later date. The defenseman has not been suspended by the team or the University.

Senior associate athletic director Keith Molin said that players charged with a felony are not automatically suspended and that such a decision is left to the team's coach.

"We're treating this situation as a personal matter," Molin said.

Athletic director Tom Goss will make a statement today concerning the incident. Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson was unavailable for comment, and assistant coach Mel Pearson declined to comment on the situation.

Although the alleged assault occurred six months ago, the prosecutors only recently identified Fox as the suspect. Following the slashing, referee Rick Perry asked Fox's coach to identify the player involved or accept a forfeit. After the coach declined, the team skated off the ice and forfeited the championship game.

"The official said it was the most brutal attack he'd ever seen in 30 years of coaching," Halushka said.

For the past six months, Bloomfield Police Department Detective Scott McCanham and investigators have been trying to identify a suspect. According to WXYZ News, the investigators discovered that the suspect was a member of the Michigan hockey team. Thomas went to the University's Department of Public Safety, which presented a list of the members of the team. Thomas then identified Fox as the culprit.

The television station also reported that Fox's attack was in retaliation for being checked, even though the league has a no-checking policy. Fox retaliated but apparently hit the wrong person.

This report differs from Halushka's version, which claims Fox acted in a "cowardly fashion."

Fox "is five inches taller and apparently picked on the smallest individual on the ice," Halushka said. "He swung baseball-style at Thomas with his stick."

The deputy prosecutor did say, however, that Fox also received 15 stitches after the incident.

The championship game was Fox's first of the season, according to Halushka, although he was listed on the roster.

Fox, the only senior Michigan defenseman, has seen a lot of playing time for the Wolverines. As the most experienced defenseman, Fox has been in a leadership position throughout the season.

He is expected to turn himself in at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Township today.

01-07-98