Football player arrested for assault
Redshirt freshman linebacker Malik Fountain was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated assault and two counts of assault and battery, according to Isabella County Court records.
He was released after posting 10 percent of a $9,000 bond.
Fountain has been suspended indefinitely from the football team for violation of team rules, said Assistant Athletics Director for Communications Rob Wyman, who said the athletics department was made aware of an accusation against Fountain in December.
"We continued to monitor the situation and waited for the legal support for the accusation," Wyman said. "We moved swiftly to take the action of suspending Malik. We will continue to monitor the situation."
Wyman added the department is usually notified by local law enforcement if there is a student-athlete accused of a crime.
According to the student-athlete handbook, those arrested for misdemeanors or felonies will be suspended from practice and play "pending a prompt investigation to determine whether the suspension should be continued or lifted." All arrests will be reported to the Office of Student Life.
After midnight on Dec. 2, Saginaw resident Chylcie Clark was at Wayside Central celebrating a friend's birthday when she was assaulted. Central Michigan Life interviewed Clark in December, when a post she wrote about the assault on Facebook was shared thousands of times.
Clark described a black man, about 6 feet 1 inch in height, with dreadlocks, who repeatedly tried to dance with her when she declined. She described the man as "pretty muscular" and in his early 20s. She positively identified Fountain to police by looking at the CMU football roster on Dec. 2.
"The first time I tried to push him off," Clark said. "He grabbed me really hard. My friend (also) told him no. He shoved her and she went six feet across the dance floor."
Clark said the man punched her friend in the eye, and then punched Clark in the nose. She spent four hours in the emergency room that night, and suffered from a broken bone in her nose. Clark underwent a septoplasty in December.
Clark told Central Michigan Life on April 8 police have not contacted her since February.
Her testimony was confirmed through court documents. Another witness told police he didn't see the entire altercation, but said he believed a black man who he identified as Fountain was involved.
Fountain told police in December he was at Wayside Central with former CMU wide receiver Courtney Williams. Fountain said Williams "got into it" with a woman and an Arabic man. Fountain said he did not punch any women, but did fight with the man.
Williams told police Fountain was by the disc jockey booth when a woman was arguing with him.
He told police the Arabic man came up and threw a drink on him and Fountain. Williams began fighting the man, but was restrained "by someone." Williams said the man and Fountain were then fighting on the ground.
Three weeks after the incident, Fountain played in the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 28, started as a linebacker and had eight tackles. He played in all 13 games last season, and had a total of 67 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass deflection and 4.5 tackles for a loss of five yards.
Fountain's arraignment has been scheduled for April 20.
Sports Editor Taylor DesOrmeau also contributed to this story.
