A man was arrested Tuesday in England on charges of suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the death of professional hockey player Adam Johnson.
According to South Yorkshire police, the man remains in police custody. He was not named in the press release. Newsweek reached out by email to the health and safety department of Sheffield City Council requesting comment.
Johnson, who was 29 when he died, was fatally injured during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers on October 28. Johnson received a cut to the neck from the blade of Steelers player Matt Petgrave in the 35th minute of the game. He collapsed and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," South Yorkshire Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall wrote in a statement.
Horsfall added that the department spoke to "highly specialized experts in their field" to assist with the investigation.
"Adam's death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world," Horsfall wrote.
"We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process. Our thoughts remain with all affected by this devastating incident as enquiries continue."
After the incident, Johnson's aunt Kari Johnson said Petgrave was "reckless."
"We are looking for justice for Adam," Johnson said, according to reports. "My nephew was 6-feet tall, and whether you lost your balance or not, to have that leg come up that high and do a kicking motion like he did, that is just unacceptable. I think the actions were unnecessary. It was just unnecessary. Nobody touched him. I've watched that video hundreds of times."
Johnson stated she would accept the outcome of a police investigation as long as it was as comprehensive as possible.
"I just want them to get it right," she said. "It's not going to bring my nephew back. We just want to make sure they get it right. If they find against what I feel, I will have to accept that. But I've felt throughout it's very, very reckless and unnecessary. It took a life. I don't want to see it for someone else."
Johnson played two seasons in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had been a professional player since 2017.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Tom Westerholm is a Sports & Culture Reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek, he was the Boston Celtics beat ... Read more
