A team-mate of Adam Johnson, who died when his throat was slashed by an ice skate, has described the police investigation into his death as “crazy”.
Victor Bjorkung was on the ice playing with Johnson for Nottingham Panthers when the tragic incident took place in October. He played a pass to Johnson in the Challenge Cup clash against Sheffield Steelers just before the tragic occurrence.
Johnson suffered a laceration to his neck after contact from an opponent player’s skate blade. His team-mates formed a human shield around him as medics performed CPR to try and save his life. The 29-year-old was transferred to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Soon after, South Yorkshire Police arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter. In April, the police announced he had been re-bailed while the investigation into the incident continues.
Bjorkung has been left traumatised by the tragic death of his team-mate and friend, but told BBC Sport he found it “crazy” that police were involved in the case. "The people that were on the ice, and the people in the stands, they know no-one wants to do something like this,” he said.
“It’s such a freak accident and it is so fast. You can watch the video and you can zoom in and you can slow it down and do all these things. It’s so easy to sit in the stands and think 'he did that, he did this' but if you watch it in real time you know it's too fast to judge."
The latest statement from South Yorkshire Police read: "A man was arrested on 14 November last year on suspicion of manslaughter and later bailed. Today (Thursday 25 April) he has been further re-bailed until Tuesday 14 May 2024.
"Our thoughts remain with Adam’s loved ones as our investigation continues. If there are any developments in the investigation ahead of the new bail expiry date, these will be issued proactively on our website."
Johnson was laid to rest in his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. His family paid tribute with a moving obituary. They said: "Adam loved the outdoors and the simple things in life. He enjoyed yard work, fishing, golfing with buddies, playing in the Iron Ice hockey tournament, projects around the house, reading, following the stock market and listening to his favourite music.
"Adam especially enjoyed his quiet coffee time with his fiancee Ryan, dreaming about their future, and taking in the mornings together. Adam loved to live a slower life and took pleasure in the small, everyday things. Simple pleasures Adam enjoyed were manually grinding his coffee beans, seeing the colours of each sunset, sitting lakeside by a bonfire with a glass of his favourite red wine, and trying out new dinner recipes. But more than anything, he loved a good deal on Costco steaks.
"He was many things to many people, but to those who were lucky enough to be loved by Adam knew he was thoughtful, patient and genuinely authentic. He loved his fiancee, family, and friends above all else. His loving and quiet demeanour will be eternally missed."