Martesse Patterson Arrested: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
Purdue sophomore offensive lineman Martesse Patterson was arrested Wednesday morning in West Lafayette, Indiana, and charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to Alexandra Kruczek of WLFI.com, a no-contact order was issued against Patterson stemming from an alleged incident on Sept. 7, and he is being held on bail.
"Purdue head football coach Darrell Hazell is aware of the incident involving [Patterson]," Purdue football sports information director Matt Rector said in a statement, via Nathan Baird in the Indianapolis Star. "Hazell respects that there is a legal process that he will allow to evolve before further commenting."
According to Baird, former Purdue football player Alex Hilger made the complaint to police:
"Hilger alleged that on Sept. 7, Patterson entered Hilger's room at their residence in the 800 block of Hayes Street in West Lafayette "to borrow some property." Hilger told Patterson he was not allowed to borrow the property, but Patterson took it anyway and returned to his room.
When Hilger approached Patterson to retrieve his possession, Patterson punched him in the face, according to the affidavit. Hilger sought treatment at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after sustaining a broken jaw requiring a two-day hospital stay. The affidavit cites medical records showing Hilger suffered a "displaced fracture of the left mandible and a non-displaced fracture of the right mandible."
"
The Columbus, Ohio, native started three games for the Boilermakers last season as a freshman and entered 2016 as the starting left tackle.
Jalen Neal replaced him in Purdue's Week 3 win over Nevada because of what Hazell called "personal things," per Baird in the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
It isn't yet clear how Patterson's arrest may impact his status with the team, but if he is forced to miss additional action, Neal is the likeliest candidate to start in his place.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
