LARAMIE, Wyoming — A man has filed a civil lawsuit against former University of Wyoming basketball player Luke Martinez over a fight outside a bar last year.
According to court documents, Laramie attorney Steve Aron filed suit in March on behalf of Parfait Nayigihugu.
Martinez, who played for UW from 2010 to 2013, also has a criminal case pending in which he is charged with aggravated assault and battery, a felony. Martinez has pleaded not guilty and a jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 26-28 in District Court in Laramie.
The civil suit and criminal case stem from what police say was a fight in late December 2012 outside the Buckhorn Bar in Laramie.
According to a complaint filed in the civil case, Martinez "willfully and intentionally physically assaulted and committed a violent battery" against Nayigihugu.
The Laramie Boomerang reports (http://bit.ly/10zR2uX) that the complaint contends Nayigihugu was unconscious and in a prone position when Martinez "violently kicked" him in the face, causing broken bones, a head injury and other injuries.
Martinez's actions, according to the complaint, were "willful and wanton misconduct with complete disregard" for consequences.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for pain and suffering, severe emotional distress, lost income and other issues.
Martinez's attorney, Tom Fleener, of Laramie, has filed an answer to the lawsuit that "neither admits nor denies" the more substantial allegations in the complaint and asks the court to find in Martinez's favor.
Attorneys in the civil case are scheduled to meet Friday with Judge District Judge Jeffrey Donnell for a scheduling conference, according to court documents.
Aron said Wednesday that Nayigihugu works in the insurance industry but has medical bills that are continuing to accumulate related to his injuries from the incident with Martinez.
Martinez, a starting guard and the Cowboys' second-leading scorer at the time of the fight, was suspended indefinitely following the incident and never returned to play for his senior year at UW.
UW was 12-0 at the time of his suspension, but the season turned and the team finished 20-14 overall and 4-12 in the Mountain West Conference.
During a March arraignment, Donnell advised Martinez he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and face fines up to $10,000, if convicted in the criminal case.
Following the arraignment, Fleener described Martinez as a "victim" in the incident.
Information from: Laramie (Wyo.) Daily Boomerang, http://www.laramieboomerang.com
