Ohio State redshirt senior Jake Stoneburner and redshirt junior Jack Mewhort have been suspended from the football team until recent legal issues are resolved.
Stoneburner and Mewhort were arrested early Saturday morning for allegedly urinating in public and running from police.
Mark Collins, a Columbus-based attorney, said the football players learned of their suspension Sunday, and would be barred from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center until their case is resolved.
“I’m going to try to work the next week or so to resolve this to everyone’s satisfaction to get these two young men, get this taken care of and get them moving forward and get them back on the team hopefully,” Collins told The Lantern.
The two are scheduled to appear in Delaware Municipal Court June 11.
Coach Urban Meyer confirmed the suspensions Monday morning.
“Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer confirmed today (Monday, June 4) that student-athletes Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort have been suspended from all football team activities,” Jerry Emig, an OSU athletic department spokesman, said in a press release. “There will be no further comment on the issue at this time.”
Shawnee Hills Police arrested Stoneburner and Mewhort for “obstructing official business” at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday by the Bogey Inn near Dublin, Ohio.
In a police report obtained by The Lantern from the Shawnee Hills Police Department, police said they spotted Stoneburner, Mewhort and a third person, Austin Barnard, urinating on what appeared to be an early childhood education school called The Oxford School near Dublin, Ohio. After shining a bright light, police said the three suspects ran away.
Although Barnard is unaffiliated with the OSU football program, he is a business student at OSU.
The reported documented that Stoneburner and Barnard were found hiding behind a parked vehicle in a parking lot being used for this past weekend’s Memorial Tournament. Police said Stoneburner admitted to officers that he was urinating before he ran.
Mewhort, who fled to the woods, was ultimately caught by police after threatening to use a police dog.
The report also indicated that the three were suspected of using alcohol.
Adam Widman, assistant director of communications for the Department of Athletics, on Saturday said Stoneburner’s arrest was being investigated.
Obstructing official business is defined by Ohio Revised Code 2921.31 as “No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within the public official’s official capacity, shall do any act that hampers or impedes a public official in the performance of the public official’s lawful duties.”
Shawnee Hills police chief Sean LeFever told The Lantern he does not expect the charges against the three to be dropped.
“It is not our intention to drop the charges. If the prosecutor or anybody else decides goes that route that would be up to them. But as of right now, I have heard absolutely nothing to support (the charges being dropped),” LeFever said.
LeFever suffered a closed fracture to the base of his right thumb attempting to apprehend the three individuals.
Stoneburner is expected to be the starting tight end for the 2012 Buckeyes, and is listed in the No. 1 spot on Meyer’s preliminary depth chart.
Monday, Stoneburner appeared to tweet regarding the incident from his Twitter account, @STONEYeleven: “Thanks for all the support from family, friends, and especially my teammates. Love you all! Unfortunate situation, but we will over come it.”
In 2011, Stoneburner caught 14 passes for 193 yards and had seven touchdown catches. Stoneburner was recruited out of Dublin Coffman High School. He has caught 37 passes so far in his career at OSU.
Meyer listed Stoneburner after this year’s Spring Game on April 21 as one of his “top offensive playmakers.”
Similarly, Mewhort, who was also a highly recruited prospect out of St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy in Toledo, Ohio, is also expected to start on the offensive line for the Buckeyes.
Stoneburner and Mewhort are the second and third football players to be arrested since Meyer took over as coach.
Redshirt junior cornerback Dominic Clarke was arrested and charged on Jan. 12 for drunk driving. Meyer removed Clarke from the team later that week.
Stoneburner and Mewhort did not respond for requests to comment Sunday.
Kristen Mitchell and Pat Brennan contributed to this article.
