A University of Montana football player was arrested for allegedly beating a Washington State University student in Pullman on Saturday morning.
Pullman police responded to a fight shortly after midnight on Saturday on Stadium Way. Officers found a 23-year-old man unresponsive and suffering from head injuries. Witnesses told police the man had been beaten by a group of men.
Police found one suspect, identified as 22-year-old Justin Strong of Missoula. Court documents say Strong told police that he was assaulted by the victim while trying to break up a fight at a house party. Strong said he acted in self-defense when he hit the victim, knocking him to the ground, then hit him a second time when he tried to get up.
The victim was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital with a skull fracture before being flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane for treatment.
Pullman Police say they are trying to identify possible other suspects.
Strong was arrested for second degree assault and booked into the Whitman County Jail. He was released without bond during his first court appearance on Monday. Charges have not been filed pending the outcome of the Pullman Police investigation.
(story and image: KHQ.com)