Matt Petgrave Arrested Following Adam Johnson Death


Matt Petgrave | Sheffield Steelers and Dean Woolley

Following weeks of speculation, British authorities have finally decided to arrest professional hockey player Matt Petgrave for his role in the death of Adam Johnson during a game between Petgrave’s Sheffield Steelers and Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers late last month.

The incident occurred during the second period when Petgrave – who has a history of dirty play throughout his career – made a “hit” on Johnson that looked like a Karate Move you would see Bruce Lee make as he slashed the throat of the Minnesota Native.

Johnson received immediate medical attention on the ice before being transported to a nearby hospital where he would ultimately succumb to his injuries.

Many fans felt that after watching the video of Petgrave slashing the neck of Johnson that the move was intentional and was something that could be classified as manslaughter due to the fact that Petgrave had knowledge that the bottom of his skates were able to be used as a weapon that could seriously injure or kill someone on the ice, despite Petgrave’s claims that it was an accident that was a big time fluke.

The South Yorkshire Police announced last Tuesday that a suspect had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of Adam Johnson.

The suspect – who was obviously Matt Petgrave – has since been released on bail, according to Syracuse.com and his potential return to the courtroom is unknown at this time.

Matt Petgrave Sheffield Steelers and Dean Woolley
Earlier this week, Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall released a statement on the arrest. While Horsfall never named Petgrave, he did note that police have consulted "highly specialized experts" throughout their investigation.

"Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," Horsfall said according to CBS.com. "We have been speaking to highly specialized experts in their field to assist in our inquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation."

The South Shore Press will release any further information we receive on this story as it is an ongoing and developing event.

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