English police make arrest in relation to death of Elite Hockey League’s Adam Johnson. What do we know?
Following the tragic events that unfolded just over two weeks ago, there are new developments in the case of the death of the Nottingham Panthers player.
Though details continue to emerge, what is now clear is that police in England have made an arrest in connection with the death of the Panthers player who passed away as a result of a seemingly freak accident on the ice in which his throat was slashed by the skate of an opposing player.
Police make arrest in Adam Johnson case
According to reports on Tuesday, police in England made an arrest in relation to the October 28th death of hockey player Adam Johnson. During a game between Jonshon’s Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League, Johnson’s throat was slashed by an opposing player’s skate. Indeed, the arrest comes 17 days after Johnson’s death and was acknowledged in a press release by police in which it was stated that detectives “arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter. He remains in police custody at this time.”
While no word has been given on the identity of the individual in question, the assumption is that it is Sheffield hockey player Matt Petgrave, whose skate struck Johnson in the neck during the aforementioned game. Sadly, video of the horrific incident showed Johnson fall to the ice, before attempting to skate to the bench while holding his neck. As one can imagine, blood covered both Johnson and the ice as he sought to get help. Ultimately, and to the shock of all, the 29-year-old was later pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
What have police said about Adam Johnson’s death
In the above-mentioned press release, South Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall spoke to the idea of being in uncharted territory when it comes to the nature of the investigation. “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. 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.” For his part Johnson, who grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota was a star hockey player right out of high school. After that, he would go on to play two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, before making his way to the NHL, and then later the American Hockey League. His stint in Europe was the latest chapter in what was otherwise a succesful career on the ice.