Published: November 01, 2009 11:04 pm      

NIAGARA FALLS: ‘Ruckus’ leads to NU basketball player arrest

20-year-old member of Purple Eagles picked up outside of Main Street bar

Niagara University officials are investigating the arrest of a 20-year-old member of the basketball team who was charged after creating a disturbance at a Main Street bar early Sunday morning.

Christopher M. Armstrong was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest by Falls police following the incident.

Niagara Falls Roving Anti-Crime Unit officers said they were on patrol about 1:15 a.m. when they noticed a “ruckus” at the Whisky Bar, 2109 Main St. Officers said they saw a man in a trenchcoat who appeared to be naked struggling with a bouncer who was trying to get him out of the bar.

As they approached, officers said it was clear the man, later identified as Armstrong, didn’t want to leave the bar and wasn’t actually naked but was wearing a “vulgar” Halloween costume.

“What about that (expletive)? Kick him out,” officers said Armstrong yelled at them. In a use of force report it noted Armstrong was intoxicated.

Police said Armstrong was asked to leave the area several times but refused as a crowd of about 60 people waiting to get in the bar looked on.

“You (expletive) pigs only want to kick me out. I see how it is,” police said Armstrong yelled at them.

When told he was under arrest, officers said Armstrong tried to pull away from them and was pushed against a nearby tree and handcuffed. Officers also noted Armstrong told them he was a walk-on basketball player for the Purple Eagles.

Armstrong, a nephew of former Niagara coach Jack Armstrong, is in his third season as a non-scholarship member of the team. In his first two years he played a total of 16 minutes.

Ed McLaughlin, the university’s athletics director, said Sunday night he was still gathering information and hoped to determine by today whether Armstrong violated Niagara’s code of conduct for student-athletes.

“I’ve talked to Chris and have gotten his side of the story,” McLaughlin said. “Legally, I can’t get into any details. We haven’t seen the police report yet.”

Senior forward Kamau Gordon was dismissed from the team three weeks ago for violating the code of conduct. “It became clear that he did not want to live up to those standards,” McLaughlin said in a statement, without disclosing exactly what Gordon did to merit dismissal.

In August 2006, three Niagara players were charged with third-degree assault and two more were charged with disorderly conduct after an altercation with a baseball player outside a Main Street bar. The charges were adjourned on a plea deal. Sanctions were also imposed by the university, including suspensions that ranged from one to eight games.