5 Salisbury football players arrested in bar fight

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — Five Salisbury University football players charged after a weekend fight outside a night club have been suspended from the team, their coach said Monday.

Bar employees told police the players involved had been aggressive with other customers, picking fights all night, said Salisbury Police spokesman Mark Tyler. When officers arrived around 2 a.m. Sunday, there were several fights in the parking lot and one of the players, Justin Sykes, 22, hit an officer as he was being arrested, Tyler said.

The five football players have been suspended from the team while the incident is investigated, Coach Sherman Wood said.

While university officials cannot comment on the students' specific cases, Vice President of Student Affairs Ellen Neufeldt said the university has the right to place students who engage in unbecoming behavior on suspension pending an investigation.

Sykes was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, obstructing and hindering an investigation, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order. Police also charged players Justin Acker, 21, Reginald Gooch, 22, Thomas Fontaine, 22, with disorderly conduct. Acker and Gooch are also charged with failure to obey a lawful order.

Player Marcel McCain, 22, and student Erin Casey, 22, are charged with failure to obey a lawful order and obstructing and hindering an investigation. Student Tyler Blumenthal, 21, is charged with failure to obey a lawful order.

University officials and police said Monday they didn't know if the students had attorneys. A message left seeking comment with a lawyer who had represented Sykes in the past wasn't immediately returned Monday.