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Matt Petgrave, the man arrested for suspicion of manslaughter guilty after the death of hockey player Adam Johnson, will not face accusations, British prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
The New York Post reports that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has decided not to load Petgrave, which was involved in the tragic collision with Johnson during a Steelers Hockey match in Nottingham Panthers-Sheffield on October 28, 2023.
Petgrave’s skate cut Johnson’s neck during the collision, which finally led to his death.
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Adam Johnson # 47 of Pittsburgh Penguins patina against the Hurricanes from Caroline to PPG Pains Arena on March 31, 2019 in Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent / NHLI via Getty Images)
South Yorkshire police arrested Petgrave two weeks after the incident, although they did not specify who he was publicly. Then Petgrave published a crowdfunding call for legal costs, saying that it was the subject of a police investigation.
The CPS explained their reasoning so as not to charge Petgrave, calling the situation “a shocking and deeply overwhelming incident”.
The horrible death of Adam Johnson leads the English association of ice hockey to mandate neck protection
“The CPS and the South Yorkshire police worked closely to determine whether criminal charges were to be brought against the other ice hockey player,” said the chief prosecutor Michael Quinn, according to the post.
“Following an in -depth police investigation and a complete examination of all the evidence of the CPS, we have concluded that there is no realistic prospect of condemnation for any criminal offense and that there will therefore be no prosecution. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Adam Johnson.”
The AS or the left wing of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Adam Johnson (47 years old), looks during the second period of the NHL match between the Penguins of Pittsburgh and the Avalanche du Colorado on October 16, 2019, at PPG Pains Arena in Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. (Jeanine Leech / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When the horrible incident took place, there was a debate on social media to find out if Petgrave collided with Johnson expressly. But Johnson’s teammates supported Petgrave, one saying that “there is no chance that it is deliberate”.
The debate also sparked protection against hockey players on ice, and the English association of ice hockey quickly imposed the protection of the neck for all players.
The announcement occurred two days after Johnson’s accident because the protection of the neck was mandated from 2024.
Johnson played 13 games in the 2018-2019 and 2019-20 seasons for the Penguins of Pittsburgh, who honored him at the time of his tragic death.
Matt Petgrave n ° 26 of the Roquettes de Laval during the warm -up against the Belleville senators before the AHL match in Place Bell on February 14, 2018 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The Laval rocket beat the senators of Belleville 3-2. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
“Pittsburgh’s Penguins join everyone in mourning hockey, the life of Adam Johnson, whose life has tragically ended too early,” the team said in a statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Adam, as well as all the teammates and past coaches of Adam and current. Adam will always be part of the Penguins family.”
