'Miracle on Ice' forward Mark Pavelich charged with felony assault for incident near Lutsen
"Miracle on Ice" hockey player Mark Pavelich was charged with four felonies after an alleged assault at his home near Lutsen. (Cook County Jail)
GRAND MARAIS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A forward for the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Olympic hockey team was arrested last week and now faces felony assault charges.
Law enforcement says 61-year-old Mark Pavelich assaulted his neighbor in Cook County with a metal pole, causing them serious injuries.
Pavelich now faces four felony counts including second-degree assault, third-degree assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm with a missing or altered serial number.
According to the criminal complaint, the attack happened in Pavelich’s home in the Lutsen area last Thursday.
He is accused of hitting his neighbor multiple times with a “metal tension bar” after the two men returned home from fishing.
Pavelich told authorities he believed the man had “spiked” his beer, which prompted the alleged assault.
The victim suffered several broken bones including two cracked ribs, a bruised left kidney and fractured vertebrae. First responders found the man in "shock" with "obvious disfigurement of his leg."
A judge has ordered a competency hearing for Pavelich.
He is due back in court Oct. 28.