The South Bend police chief says there was no wrongdoing in the August arrest of Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler. On Friday, chief Scott Ruszkowski said via statement he will not refer the case to the Board of Public Safety but that an internal investigation had been opened because of the large public interest in the case of the Fighting Irish senior.

"As with proceedings for citizens accused of wrongdoing, serious officer discipline cases are handled according to due process," Ruszkowski said, according to the report. "These discipline cases, presented in public to the Board of Public Safety and decided based on evidence, are not reopened once a decision is made and a case is closed.

"I have stressed honesty, integrity and accountability each and every day since becoming chief last year. Under my watch, SBPD examines every use-of-force case regardless of whether or not a complaint is made. For every case of alleged misconduct that comes before our department, we base decisions and recommendations on a full review of evidence. Cases for major discipline, from written reprimand to termination, are referred to the Board of Public Safety upon completion of an internal affairs investigation and my recommendation on appropriate discipline.

"In the Butler case, the evidence does not support a claim of wrongdoing on the part of any officer involved, which is why I am not referring the case to the Board of Public Safety. It is also important to note that no formal citizen complaint was filed by Mr. Butler or others. Due to the considerable public interest in this case and accusations made in public, we decided to open an internal investigation anyway. We have refrained from releasing additional information about this case out of respect for Mr. Butler's right to due process. We will release further information as soon as circumstances allow."

Butler, who was suspended from the Irish indefinitely following his arrest, faces felony counts of resisting law enforcement and battery against a public safety official. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf Aug. 24.

Butler's girlfriend, Haleigh Bailey, had previously disputed the police account of Butler's arrest, telling the South Bend Tribune in August that Butler was "abused and wrongly arrested."

The officer who had arrested Butler, Aaron Knepper, had been named as a co-defendant in three separate lawsuits since 2012 that accused him of using excessive force and violating civil rights, according to reports.

A Washington D.C. native, Butler had been expected to miss the first month of this season with a broken left foot that had been re-injured this past summer. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Butler appeared in 37 games and started three for the Irish, with 39 tackles, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.