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Charge dismissed in assault of Redskins player at local nightclub

Nelson Daranciang
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Michael Miske

A  judge has dismissed the assault charge against a man accused of hitting Washington Redskins football tackle Trent Williams in the head with a bottle at a Kakaako nightclub before last year’s Pro Bowl.

The dismissal came after the prosecutor told the judge that a National Football League official told him Williams will not return to Hawaii for trial.

The state had charged Michael Miske, Jr., 39, with felony assault with a dangerous instrument following a Jan. 25 brawl at the M Nightclub. 

Williams, 24, suffered a cut on his head requiring multiple stitches. The injury kept the 6-foot-5, 328-pound offensive lineman on the sidelines for this year’s Pro Bowl game at Aloha Stadium two days later.

Prosecutor Kaina Awong said he has spoken to Williams’ brother Fredrick, who the state says was also assaulted in the same incident. He said Frederick had expressed interest in returning to Hawaii for trial but that Trent had never returned his calls. Then a few weeks ago he said he received a call from an NFL security official in Washington.

“He said neither Williams, Trent nor Fred, is returning to Hawaii for trial,” Awong said.

Trial was scheduled for next month.

Circuit Judge Michael Wilson dismissed the assault charge with prejudice, denying the state the opportunity to refile the charge later.

Miske’s brother John Blane Kenui Stancil, 25, is awaiting trial in Honolulu District Court for misdemeanor assault of Trent Williams in the same Jan. 25 incident. Williams was a no-show for the trial in April prompting the judge in that case to reschedule the trial to next month.

Also scheduled to stand trial in Honolulu District Court for misdemeanor assault next month is Michael Buntenbah, 40, for allegedly assaulting Fredrick Williams.

Awong said if neither Williams brother is willing to return to Hawaii for a felony trial, it is unlikely they will return for the misdemeanor trials.

At the time of the incident Miske was a minority owner of the nightclub. An M Nightclub spokeswoman said Miske later sold his shares in the business.

Stancil listed his job as the nightclub doorman and Buntenbah was a bouncer.

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