Three Michigan football players who attended a Sigma Chi fraternity gathering early Friday morning attempted to steal electronic devices and threw a television out a window before inciting a fight, Sigma Chi members say.
Michigan football players Jason Brooks, Ray Jackson and William Peterson were involved in the altercation, three Sigma Chi members who asked to remain anonymous said Sunday.
The events began at 1:30 a.m. when Sigma Chi members heard a loud crash. Fraternity members claim this came from Brooks throwing a television set out a third-story window, and an Ann Arbor Police Department sergeant confirmed fraternity reports that a television set was thrown from an upper-story window.
The members said Brooks, an offensive tackle, was found at approximately 2:15 a.m. attempting to steal a laptop computer, claiming he was checking his e-mail.
After being discovered and asked to leave, Brooks left the premises and returned to the house 10 minutes later, the fraternity members said. When asked to leave a second time, a Sony PlayStation and a portable phone dropped from his coat into the snow, the members said. Fraternity members called 911 to report the incident and AAPD was dispatched at 2:23 a.m., the AAPD sergeant said.
Brooks returned shortly, slapped a Sigma Chi member and pulled another member over the fence, inciting a fight, the fraternity members said. Jackson, a fullback; Peterson, a cornerback; and several fraternity members joined the fight, the three fraternity members said.
Fraternity members were on their own property, while Brooks was on the sidewalk on the other side of the fence.
After a lull in the confrontation, Jackson knocked a fraternity member unconscious, giving him fractures to his cheekbone and nose, a first fraternity representative said.
"I seriously thought he was dead," the representative said.
According to police reports obtained by The Ann Arbor News that describe the fight, one suspect told police on the scene that several Sigma Chi fraternity members began to attack him and his friend outside the house. The suspect apparently began to fight back to protect himself and his friend.
Brooks, Jackson and Peterson could not be reached for comment.
The AAPD sergeant said six people were injured in the fight, but it is not known exactly how many people were involved in the altercation.
Brooks, Jackson and Peterson fled the scene after hearing police sirens, the Sigma Chi members said.
"It was a totally unprovoked attack," said the first Sigma Chi representative.
Brooks fled the scene and was seen running north on South State Street, they said.
An LSA first-year student, who did not want to be identified, was walking to a friend's room at Martha Cook Residence Hall when she saw the fight.
"There was so much blood," she said of the fight. She described the unconscious fraternity member's head as "cracked open."
When interviewed by the police, she positively identified one of the suspects as Peterson. While fleeing the scene, he "knocked me down," she said.
Fraternity members said all three football players threw punches, but a fourth football player tried to break up the fight.
"We understand that this is an isolated incident," said the first representative, stressing that Sigma Chi has nothing against the football team as a whole.
Though Sigma Chi representatives said they did not know what Brooks, Jackson and Peterson were being charged with specifically, they said AAPD told them felonious assault, larceny and aggravated assault were among the charges the three could face.
When asked if the football players were acting in self defense, the second fraternity representative said, "that is not true."
Fraternity members involved stress that it was the three football players who instigated the fight.
"All of the thefts were unprovoked," the first fraternity representative said.
Bruce Madej, director of Athletic media relations, said he could not confirm that Brooks, Jackson and Peterson were involved in the incident.
"We are going to gather all of the facts and we are not going to comment until we have all of the facts," Madej said.
Peterson was suspended from playing in the Citrus Bowl after a Dec. 3 incident involving a larceny and an exotic dancer, according to a Dec. 18 report in The Detroit News.
AAPD investigated Peterson for criminal sexual conduct allegations in October, according to The Detroit News. He dressed for the Oct. 3 Michigan-Iowa game but was not allowed to play.
Last year, Brooks pled not guilty to fourth degree criminal sexual conduct in Washtenaw County court. The victim of the assault told The Michigan Daily that Brooks was disciplined under the University's Code of Student Conduct.
Brooks accepted responsibility for four Code violations, the victim said, involving physically harming another person; sexually assaulting or sexually harassing another person; illegally possessing, using, distributing, manufacturing or selling alcohol or other drugs; and violating state or federal law if such action has a serious impact on the University community.
The Code of Student Conduct is the University's internal discipline system with sanctions ranging from educational discipline to expulsion.
- The Associated Press and Daily Staff Reporter Jason Stoffer contributed to this report.
outside Sigma Chi fraternity house at 548 S. State St.
2:15 a.m.: Fraternity members allegedly see Jason Brooks
attempting to steal a laptop
computer. Brooks is later found with a Sony PlayStation and portable phone.
2:23 a.m.: AAPD dispatched to the scene.
2:25 a.m.: Football players and
fraternity members engage in fight.
01-11-99
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