A Bloomfield man is expected to be arrested in connection with the stabbing death of University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard, his lawyer said late Monday.

Deron Freeman, a Hartford attorney, declined to identify his client, but said police questioned the man for more than six hours Sunday and took items from his home after serving a search warrant there.

"I expect he will be arrested," Freeman told The Day when reached by phone Monday night. "My client … did submit himself to voluntary questioning for six hours. I talked with detectives and police later who indicated that an arrest warrant would be coming."

However, University of Connecticut police Lt. Andrew Fournier said Monday night he could not confirm or deny that an arrest was made.

On Monday, the state medical examiner's office said Howard died from a single stab wound to the abdomen and ruled the death a homicide.

Freeman said his client is in his early 20s and is not a UConn student. He said the man was involved in the fight, but was only trying to break it up because he knew people involved.

Freeman said he was unsure exactly what charges police planned to file against his client.

"He maintains his innocence and claims he has nothing to do with the stabbing and is remorseful for what happened," Freeman said.

Howard, 20, a starting cornerback for the Huskies, was stabbed during a fight outside a school-sanctioned dance on the UConn campus in Storrs early Sunday.

Someone pulled a fire alarm at the dance and two groups began to fight outside. Howard, from Miami, and 19-year-old Brian Parker of Sarasota, Fla., a sophomore wide receiver, were stabbed.

Howard was brought to Windham Community Memorial Hospital in critical condition, and doctors ordered him airlifted to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, where he died. Parker sustained minor injuries.

Parker was able to point out one of the men allegedly involved in the attack, according to a police report released Monday, and police arrested 21-year-old Johnny Hood.

Hood, whose lawyer is Deron Freeman's brother, was charged him with interfering with an officer and breach of peace. According to the report, he gave police a false name.

Hood was arraigned Monday and ordered held on $100,000 bond. He has not been charged in connection with Howard's death.

'Pretty deeply affected'

The violence came less than 12 hours after UConn's 38-25 homecoming victory over Louisville. UConn football coach Randy Edsall identified Howard's body at St. Francis Sunday morning. Edsall said Monday that after Howard was stabbed, one teammate performed first aid while another comforted him. He wouldn't identify the teammates or say how many players witnessed the fight.

"One had Jasper in his arms and the other was pressuring where the wound went in and had blood on his hands," Edsall said. "And those two young men are pretty deeply affected right now."

The team will wear a sticker with Howard's initials on its helmets for the rest of the season and will carry Howard's helmet or jersey to away games, Edsall said.

The coach said he doesn't know if the two teammates who helped Howard will play when the Huskies visit Big East foe West Virginia on Saturday.

"I've talked to both of them each day," he said. "I've got to see where they're at today, see where they're at tomorrow and I'll tell them if they don't feel they are mentally ready to play, that's their decision, and I'll honor whatever decision they want to make."

Edsall said his team will resume practicing today.

"It'll be good for us to be getting back on the practice field tomorrow and getting a little bit of what in this tragic situation, back to a little bit of normalcy with what we have to do," he said.

Howard's mother, Joanglia, said she got news of her son's death about 4 a.m. Sunday. She described him as a "good kid" who never got into trouble.

"All I wanted him to do was go to school and get an education, and he was doing what I asked him to do," she told WSVN-TV in Miami.

Sharing the pain online

On campus, students turned to the Web to mourn - and honor - Howard.

"Man i can't believe this …," Anthony Davis, a fullback on the team, wrote on Facebook, the popular social networking site. "Jazz is gone.... I miss you soo much, we gon hold it down for you cuz....R.I.P. Jasper T. Howard #6."

Thousands of students have been invited via the site to wear black all day today. More than 2,600 people said they would.

"Jasper Jazz Howard was fatally stabbed by an outsider around 12:33 a.m. About 200-300 people saw what happened and yet everyone is on the hush…," the event description reads on Facebook. "So we need answers and we need justice… It will be a day of silence and everyone should be in all black everything. Let your voice be heard through your silence versus your actions."

A group called "Help Find Jasper Howard's Murderer" has more than 6,000 Facebook members.

The group's creator asks "Were you near Hillside Road or at the Stop Light Party in the Student Union on Saturday night?" and says that anyone with information should contact the university's police department.

Students are planning to honor Howard when they gather to watch the UConn game against West Virginia in the Student Union this Saturday. They also plan to wear Howard's No. 6 to the Halloween game against Rutgers.

One student posted online that she tried to buy a football jersey but the school store was sold out. Shortly after, a senior replied that he designed a t-shirt with Howard's picture and the lettering "R.I.P. #6" underneath for students to purchase and wear to the game.

Many of Howard's teammates have posted messages on their Facebook profiles about him, with several using Howard's picture as their own profile photo.

Robert McClain, another cornerback, wrote on his profile, "I'm never gonna forget him...best cornerback duo in American and in my life. Jazz u my dude for ever man ..." j.grogan@theday.com

Material from an Associated Press story was used in this report.