Armstrong Senior Wants to Set The Record Straight About 'Choking Incident'

Two weeks ago, senior Danny Dmohoski was looking forward to hockey season, he was being recruited by local colleges for hockey and lacrosse, and he says he was just a regular high school kid.

Now Dmohoski waits to hear if he'll be charged with assault and if he'll be able to go back to school again.

"Words can't even explain what's going on," Dmohoski said in an interview with Patch on Wednesday afternoon. "This is all because of an accident. We'd never mean to hurt a friend."

Right before fourth period on Oct. 6, 18-year-old Dmohoski said he was just "messing around" with three friends in the hallway before class. Forty-five minutes later, he said he and two teammates were suspended from school. The two boys are juveniles and Patch has decided not to name them.

Initial reports from WCCO-TV and said Dmohoski and two other students were suspended and jailed because of a choking incident. Dmohoski said that isn't true.

"We saw video of people doing 'the choking game' on the news and couldn't believe it. That's not at all what happened."

The most recent report lists an "assault" at 10:36 a.m. Oct. 6 at the school. The report states, "some students put another student in a neck restraint until he was unconscious."

Plymouth Public Information Officer Tammy Ward confirmed the restraint used in this incident was another student's arm and nothing else. She also confirmed that an ambulance was sent to the school. She would not comment further on the incident because of the ongoing investigation.

Initially there was speculation the incident was related to a problem the district had with "Students also told Patch they thought the boys might be acting out wrestling moves they'd seen on TV.

But Dmohoski said both are incorrect.

"One of my friends put his arm around (the victim)," Dmohoski explained.  "I jumped on top, sort of like I was hugging them. Then my other friend put his arms around all of us. We're all good friends, including (the victim). You see guys like us do this kind of thing all the time."

Dmohoski said as they backed away from each other, they realized the victim had fallen down.

"'The victim' is actually a good friend of mine, and we thought he was just kidding until he stood up and asked us what just happened. We didn't even realize he had passed out until he stood back up."

Dmohoski said he and his two friends were suspended by their assistant principal, Ginny DeLisi, for 10 days. About a week later, on Oct. 12, Dmohoski said the school district told all three that they were suspended for 45 days or they could take their chances in an expulsion hearing.

"We were polite and didn't raise our voices," Dmohoski said. "But they knew we totally disagreed with them. Should we be suspended? Sure. We shouldn't have been goofing around like that. So five or 10 days might be a good punishment for being too rowdy with a friend in school. But 45 days? A whole hockey season? No way."

Robbinsdale Area Schools officials will not comment on the incident or on the punishment. Tia Clasen, communications director for the told Patch on Tuesday, "The district cannot comment on this due to data privacy laws regarding student behavior." Subsequent requests for comment have not been answered.

Dmohoski said police officers arrived at his home Oct. 14, two days after school officials told the three students about the 45-day suspension.

"I wasn't home, and my mom came to get me at my friend's house." Dmohoski said. "She said the cops just wanted to talk, so we drove over to the (Plymouth) police station. When we got there, I was arrested."

Dmohoski said his school liaison officer cuffed him, and he was taken to the Hennepin County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of assault. Officials took his mug shot and gave him an orange jumpsuit.

"I was so scared. It felt like there were all these older guys who were violent criminals and into drugs all around me," Dmohoski said. "I'm 18, but I'm still just a high school kid. I was so freaked out."

Dmohoski said his mom bailed him out for $1,000 the next day, but that's just the beginning of the financial troubles this whole situation has caused. He has a criminal attorney and an attorney to deal with the school district.

"Even if I'm not charged and get to go back to school, we're still in a huge hole.  We're talking thousands and thousands of dollars for this."

Patch asked Armstrong Principal David Dahl to comment on Dmohoski, but in an emailed statement, he said: "I am disappointed that this is happening because this incident involves juveniles, and we cannot comment because of data privacy."

Dahl told Patch on Tuesday the school and district have acted "accordingly using all the facts," and "while all the facts are not known by the students they are known and have been discussed with those involved as due process has been carried out."

Dmohoski said Assistant Principal DeLisi said there is surveillance video of the incident. A friend told Dmohoski school officials asked him to look at it to identify the students involved.

Dmohoski said neither he nor his attorney have access to the video.

Dmohoski said he and his two teammates, who spent last weekend in juvenile detention, have until Oct. 25 to decide whether to accept the 45-day suspension or take their chances with a hearing. Dmohoski said he's not sure what he'll do or what's going to happen to him.

The criminal investigation is open at this time and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is not commenting. Chuck Laszewski, of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, said late Wednesday that no new information or criminal complaint is available for Dmohoski.

Dmohoski said he's uncertain about playing hockey now, but if he can go back to school, he wants to put his life back on track.

"I want to play hockey or lacrosse and go to a four-year college. I want to major in something like business management. I don't want all of my dreams totally ruined just because of an accident involving three friends. It just doesn't make any sense."