Lawyer: Client arrested in fight that led to UConn player stabbing, is not accused of killing

Lawyer: 1 arrested in UConn fight, not in stabbing

STORRS, Conn. — An attorney on Tuesday said his client had been arrested in connection with a fight that led to the fatal stabbing of a University of Connecticut football player.

John William Lomax, of Bloomfield, was arrested Tuesday morning, said his attorney, Deron Freeman. Freeman said he doesn’t know the charge, but said his client is not being charged with stabbing 20-year-old Jasper Howard.

State police have scheduled an early afternoon news conference to announce what they call “significant developments” in the investigation.

Howard, a starting cornerback whose nickname was Jazz, was stabbed early Oct. 18 outside a university-sanctioned dance hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville.

The entire UConn team attended his funeral Monday in Miami, where Howard was eulogized by coach Randy Edsall as “the ultimate son, he was the ultimate brother. He was the ultimate teammate. He was the ultimate friend. They didn’t come any better than Jazz.”

Police this weekend searched storm drains and a lake on campus near the area of the stabbing but wouldn’t say what they were looking for.

Another man faces charges of breach of peace and interfering with police but also is not charged in the killing.

Freeman said he expects Lomax to be arraigned Wednesday.

Bloomfield Police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter refused to say whether the department helped in the investigation, and referred questions to university police.