A Miami University student and football player who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge after an incident in an Oxford bar has been given a suspended sentence.
Zachary Smierciak, 22 of Aurora, Ohio, pleaded guilty in November to the lesser charge. He had been charged with felonious assault after an incident at the Brick Street Bar on High Street.
Smierciak was sentenced Friday in Butler County Area I Court to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended. He was fined $1,000, placed on reporting probation for a year, and ordered to anger management counseling and a drug and alcohol assessment, according to court records.
NEW: Download the free Journal-News app, Butler County’s #1 source for local news
Smierciak was asked to leave the bar in the early morning hours of Nov. 4. He stormed out and shoved a bar employee off a 10-foot ladder, according to a police report. The employee was knocked to the ground and later transported by medical helicopter to an area hospital for treatment.
A witness said Smierciak ran from the scene toward Poplar Street, but bar employees were able to stop him a few blocks away until officers detained him.
Smierciak, a starting defensive lineman for the RedHawks, was suspended from the football team after the incident, Dave Meyer, assistant athletic director for Athletic Communications, previously told the Journal-News.
About the Author