KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Two Western Michigan University freshman football players have been arrested for an armed robbery in the city of Kalamazoo.
According to both Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety chief Jeff Hadley and WMU executive director of university relations Cheryl Roland, the incident occurred overnight Friday on California Street in Kalamazoo.
The victim was not a WMU student.
Roland said police obtained a search warrant for a room in Draper Hall, a campus residence hall, forced open the door there and conducted the search.
Hadley said two WMU football players were arrested at their dorm room early Saturday morning.
Roland said the two were arrested by a WMU Public Safety officer who stopped them in a car.
Roland identified the players as:
- Ron George, an 18-year-old freshman linebacker.
- Bryson White, a 20-year-old freshman wide receiver.
Roland said Coach P.J. Fleck has already suspended both players. She said “further steps will likely follow when we have all the facts in hand.”
“In addition to the judicial system we all follow, all of our students are subject to a strict student code of conduct, and these two individuals are also subject to conduct codes for student-athletes and members of the football team,” said Roland. “Our student code alone has sanctions that go up to and include removal from the university.”
Fleck and WMU released the following statement:
“Having heard this news early this morning, I took action to immediately suspend both freshman players indefinitely. We expect to learn more about these allegations today. I’m extremely disappointed and want to assure the community that this kind of conduct is unacceptable and does not represent the values of this team or this university.
“All student-athletes will be held accountable to all university student code, athletic-student athlete and football code of conduct standards. Violations of these standards can lead to dismissal from the team and university.”
The incident remains under investigation by Kalamazoo Public Safety.
