CALGARY – Former Calgary Flames forward Brett Sutter has pleaded guilty to punching a cab driver during an off-ice incident on a road trip in Arizona.
Sutter, 24, pleaded guilty in Scottsdale City Court on Monday to disorderly conduct and received a fine of $323.60 US in connection with the incident outside a sports bar in the Phoenix suburb on Nov. 11, 2010.
Sutter, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes a few days after the incident, is scheduled back in Scottsdale court on Sept. 15 for a restitution hearing.
Under Arizona law, victims can claim financial restitution. The hearing in September will determine how much compensation Sutter must pay.
The Hurricanes refused comment. Neither Sutter nor his lawyer could immediately be reached for comment.
Sutter was originally charged with two misdemeanour assault counts after he sucker-punched a cab driver who was standing outside the American Junkie bar, where the Flames were holding their annual rookie dinner the night before a road game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Prosecutors withdrew the lesser of the two assault charges and amended the more serious count to disorderly conduct (fighting).
In an incident report obtained from the Scottsdale Police Department, staff at the American Junkie bar told officers Sutter punched the victim without provocation after being ejected just before 2 a.m.
The 38-year-old cabbie suffered a bloody lower lip, according to the police report.
Sutter is the son of former Flames general manager Darryl Sutter and nephew of Brent Sutter, head coach of the Flames.
In his report, the officer who arrested Brett Sutter, Simon Cesareo, said he was patrolling on foot nearby with three others when a passerby told them there was a fight outside the bar.
The officer said when they arrived at the scene there was a small crowd of people surrounding two bouncers who were restraining Sutter on the ground.
"The security officers that were restraining the male stated the man they were restraining had been acting up in the club all night," Cesareo wrote in the police report.
"The man was obviously intoxicated as there was an odour of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and body. His speach (sic) was also slurred."
Cesareo said Sutter handed over his B.C. driver’s licence when the officer asked for identification.
"Mr. Sutter kept mumbling that he didn’t do anything and this was his rookie game night," Cesareo wrote.
It wasn’t until the officers were booking him into jail that they understood what his comment about "rookie game" meant.
"Mr. Sutter had somewhat calmed down and was apologizing for acting the way he did. He spontaneously stated, `I’m sorry I put you guys through this, I am usually not like this and I am embarassed.’ (sic) I asked Mr. Sutter what he meant by rookie game and he stated that he played hockey for the Calgary Flames and that he was a rookie," Cesareo wrote.
"I told him you can’t just walk up and punch someone in the face and that’s why he was going to jail. Mr. Sutter agreed and stated `you guys do what you have to do and I am sorry I acted that way.’ "
The officer said he later went into the holding cells to interview Sutter, and found the player asleep on the floor.
"Mr. Sutter seemed upset that I woke him. He also seemed a bit dazed and confused," wrote Cesareo.
"I then asked him if he remembered what had transpired tonight and he told me to leave him alone. At this time I decided to let Mr. Sutter go back to sleep."
Police later released Sutter on a bond.
Shortly after the incident, the Flames assigned Sutter to their American Hockey League farm team in Abbotsford, B.C., for conditioning.
Less than a week later, the club traded him to Carolina.
Calgary Herald
Comments