(CNN) — An assistant coach for the Wake Forest men’s basketball team has been charged with assault after police say he punched a man in New York City. The man later died.

Jamill Jones, 35, was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Sandor Szabo of Boca Raton, Florida. The two men got into a confrontation early Sunday in the borough of Queens, and Jones allegedly struck Szabo in the face, according to the New York Police Department.

Szabo fell back, hit his head on the pavement and lost consciousness, according to police. Police say Jones drove away from the scene, and Szabo was transported to a hospital, where he died Tuesday from his injuries. Szabo had been treated for fractures to the left side of his face and the back of his head, and for bleeding on the brain, according to the complaint filed against Jones.

On Friday, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide, and the cause of death was “blunt impact injury of head with brain injury,” according to spokeswoman Aja Worthy-Davis.

[protected-iframe id=”8b6d290141aaaeb183e6d560a87b226a-110336915-112670968″ info=”//z.cdn.turner.com/cnn/van/resources/2.1/scripts/van-widgets.js” ]

It was not immediately clear why Jones of Kernersville, North Carolina, and Szabo were in Queens, or whether the two men knew each other before the fight.

Jones’ attorney, Alain Massena, told CNN on Thursday night that Jones learned through social media on Tuesday that Szabo had been injured and police were seeking a suspect. Massena contacted police Tuesday and arranged for Jones to turn himself in Thursday morning.

Jones is “hoping and praying that he’ll be able to continue at some point with his life,” the attorney said. Massena said the encounter between Jones and Szabo was “a tragic accident and we will deal with it in the courts.” He said Jones is cooperating with the police investigation.

Jones was arraigned Thursday evening in Queens Criminal Court, and he has been charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor in New York, according to Massena. Jones did not enter a plea, and he was released on his own recognizance. He was ordered to return to court on October 2.

Jones joined the Wake Forest basketball program in May 2017, according to the team’s website. The Philadelphia native graduated from Arkansas Tech in 2008.

Wake Forest released a statement Thursday night saying, “We have just been made aware of this matter and we are gathering information. We will make a further statement after we learn more about the matter.”

By Friday afternoon, the university’s athletics department placed Jones on leave.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox