Batavia athlete charged in U. of I. bar fight

A University of Illinois football player from Batavia has been charged with felony battery after a bar fight in Champaign, police said Monday.

Mike Garrity, 19, was arrested early Friday at Kam's, 618 E. Daniel St., after witnesses told police he punched a 19-year-old Antioch man, who was hospitalized with head injuries as a result. Champaign police spokeswoman Rene Dunn said the altercation happened about 1:55 a.m. after a verbal dispute between the two men, according to witnesses.

"(Garrity) was allegedly struck first," Dunn said.

The Antioch teen, who has not been identified by police, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Dunn said. He was listed in fair condition late Monday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Garrity, a sophomore known as the "Gentle Giant," is an offensive lineman who weighs 310 pounds and stands at 6 feet 6 inches, according to the Illini Web site.

In 2006, he was a defensive tackle and offensive lineman for Batavia High School's state playoff team. He would be a junior offensive lineman in Champaign this fall, with three years of eligibility.

Illinois football coach Ron Zook said Monday he was aware of Garrity's arrest, and the player has been suspended "until we are able to gather all the facts."

"His case is in the hands of the authorities right now and we will continue to monitor the information," the coach said in a statement.

Garrity's attorney, Dan Pope of Urbana, said there are conflicting accounts of whether Garrity was hit first.

"Most of the eyewitnesses had been drinking for six to eight hours," Pope said. "There apparently were words and conflicting stories about whether the guy insulted Mike or a girl. It's not out of the realm that the kid started things, whether verbally or physically. (Garrity) came out of the jail crying, he's so ashamed about this."

Garrity is due in court June 30.