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College Football Player Arrested, Dismissed From Team, For Attacking Gay Couple He Saw Kissing

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A Marshall University football player was dismissed from the team this week after he was caught on video assaulting a gay couple unprovoked, punching them in the face and shouting homophobic slurs because they were kissing on a sidewalk.

On April 5, 23-year-old Marshall running back Steward Butler observed the two male victims showing affection while walking to their hotel after dinner near the intersection of 5th Avenue and 9th Street in Huntington, West Virginia. According to a police report, the two men were "embracing and kissing."

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Butler, who was a passenger in a moving car with two other Marshall University football players at the time, stopped the car and got out to punch and verbally assault the couple, Zackery Johnson and Casey Williams, who were able to catch much of the assault on video with their cell phones.

According to investigators, the victims' cell phone footage showing clear shots of the car's license plate were instrumental in leading to Butler's arrest.

"If it wasn't for the video, it would have been his word against theirs and we wouldn't have had anything. But luckily, they videoed it and that's why we're here today," Huntington PD Detective Chris Sperry told WSAZ.

"He was traveling in the vehicle, he saw this, saw these two individuals walking, saw them give each other a kiss. He had the driver stop the car, he gets out, confronts him and said some choice, some bad choice words," said Sperry. "It's not a pleasant thing to watch."

Investigators are "looking into" Butler's "self defense" claim suspiciously, since he exited a moving car in order to assault the couple. For what it's worth, they note that Butler's two friends who stayed in the car were "telling him to stop and leave."

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Though police believe the attack was a hate crime, there's no legislation protecting LGBTs from hate crimes in West Virginia. In light of the situation, the Huntington PD is looking into bringing federal charges against Butler through the FBI, which do provide protections from hate crimes for LGBTs.

Justice was swift for Butler at Marshall University, where he was put on indefinite suspension by Athletic Director Mike Hamrick immediately following the charges. As more details of the case became public and the video was made available to Marshall University officials, Hamrick dismissed Butler from the team altogether.

In a tweet posted Wednesday, Hamrick said:

Coach Holliday and I have decided to dismiss Steward Butler from our program in light of additional information regarding his charges.

— Mike Hamrick (@TheHerdAD) May 6, 2015

Marshall University officials say they will let justice run its course for Butler in court, and that he's not yet off the hook for possible expulsion.

If convicted, Butler could face two years in prison or a $1,000 fine, along with a new charge to add to his extensive criminal record.

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