After entering a plea deal with prosecutors, UB sophomore guard Malik Zachery pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for his alleged role in the stabbing of a Canisius basketball player during a pickup game last September.
Zachery, 22, agreed to a reduced charge of a Class A misdemeanor of third-degree assault in a hearing Monday at North Tonawanda City Court, according to The Buffalo News.
Zachery confessed to stabbing Canisius men’s basketball player Scott Hitchon during a pickup basketball game on Sept. 11. He was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon in September but initially pleaded not guilty to both charges.
“My client had suffered the greater injury and pled guilty to resolve the matter and to continue his academics and with the Buffalo basketball team,” Zachery’s attorney, Thomas Eoannou, told The Buffalo News. “He acknowledged that he injured Mr. Hitchon. This was done after a lengthy discussion with the court. I think this was a very fair disposition, all around.”
Zachery’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 21 at North Tonawanda City Court. Hitchon requested Zachery serve jail time, but Eoannou said due to the parameters of the plea bargain, Zachery will not face any time behind bars.
The Syracuse native was suspended from the men’s basketball team indefinitely following his arrest, but could potentially return to the roster following his sentencing.
Hunter Skoczylas is the assistant sports editor and can be reached at hunter.skoczylas@ubpsectrum.com or on Twitter @HunterSkoczylas
Hunter Skoczylas is the sports editor for The Spectrum. In his free time, he can be found looking up random sports statistics, jamming to Fleetwood Mac and dedicating his Sunday afternoons to watching the Buffalo Bills.
