Manslaughter arrest made in death of hockey star Adam Johnson
Police in England have made an arrest in connection to the death of Minnesota native Adam Johnson, whose throat was slashed by the skate of an opposing player during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League last month.
The arrest was announced Tuesday – 17 days after the incident – but South Yorkshire Police did not identify the person taken into custody. In a press release, the department said detectives "arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter."
The assumption is that the arrested individual is Sheffield hockey player Matt Petgrave, whose skate struck Johnson in the neck during the Oct. 28 game. Horrific video of the play saw Johnson fall to the ice and then attempt to skate to the bench while holding his neck. Blood covered the ice and Johnson was later pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
"Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," South Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in the release.
"We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.
"Adam's death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world. We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process. Our thoughts remain with all affected by this devastating incident as enquiries continue."
Johnson, 29, grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota where he was a high school hockey star. He played two years of hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and later played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL and in the American Hockey League before his move to play in Europe.
