A University of Michigan student accused of sucker-punching a Notre Dame student before the schools squared off on the football field in September was arraigned today.
Alexander Gordon Mueller, 21, is charged with aggravated assault, Ann Arbor police said. If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, he faces up to a year in jail.
Mueller is accused of hitting the 20-year-old man on Sept. 12 as an argument among several football fans was settling down, police Det. Dave Monroe said.
The victim suffered injuries that included a cut lip and swollen nose, police have said. He told police at the time he believed he was assaulted because he was wearing a shirt bearing his university's name. Witnesses told police the attacker was wearing U-M basketball clothing.
The victim was with a 25-year-old male friend who attends U-M when the incident occurred at about 2 p.m. at State Street and McKinley Avenue, police said. It was about 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
This afternoon, 15th District Court Judge Christopher Easthope ordered Mueller to have no contact with the victim. Easthope granted a request by Mueller's attorney, Joe Simon, to allow Mueller to travel out of state for the holidays. Mueller's father attended the hearing to show support.
Simon had no comment after the hearing. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12.
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