Youth Baseball Game In Colorado Turns Into A Giant Brawl After Parents Argue Over 13-Year-Old Umpire’s Call
Police in a suburban Denver community are on the lookout for suspects after a youth baseball game descended into a violent brawl that resulted in a handful of minor injuries and at least one serious injury, Denver’s KDVR-TV reports. The brawl started over a dispute over a call made by a 13-year-old umpire.
On Saturday, parents and fans were gathered at the field at Westlake Elementary School in Lakewood for what would have otherwise been a mundane summer game between teams composed of 7-year-olds. According to ABC News, a 13-year-old umpire made a call that some parents didn’t like. The call that he or she made and why it was in dispute remains unclear.
Nevertheless, controversial was the call, and soon the dispute went from a shouting match to an all-out brawl, with 15-20 adults throwing punches. One woman jumped on a man’s back. Another man, according to a Facebook Post from the Lakewood Police Department, sucker-punched another man.
Meanwhile, the children stood by helplessly as their parents and coaches battled it out on the field.
Eventually, police showed up and restored order, and in the process, made a handful of arrests on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and fighting in public charges.
You can watch the video of the fight below, but be warned, it contains violent content that may be disturbing to some viewers.
https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodPDCO/videos/841553962881136/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBux97qvDGpXmmfFevOIp372e-67bu8yV4N–DFXmAFVTnO3HTN5eLzcMb32bNvn074BiqyI0rWGrhp09AVQAnzlcqlBXuKad3FdEZJQq4OTN40cVWnldTrSZpP2Za_NRo65XsMsW6Bm1sPhRp3CMldSEaQ6fk9e1LUtFlxZu8CB2w7eE712dIEiI4yTVMW-JMHNL-DZxfXgZXSJEuRE9uzoGMvFqXdiVl_WfBNuVYjV86Nv6MVSeZSgG-HRSMuO-DgDR21MXIqJUkqUmx1FeSej5wFGRCfafsofiRRzls49GCsEON0j95vwfcXnvxkCDtT-SPh6PxoZ17-vhGfdCefQsCmFua4_BM&__tn__=-R
Meanwhile, though the police have issued a handful of citations for misdemeanors, they’re still, as of this writing, on the lookout for one man in particular. In the video posted above, the man in teal shorts and a white shirt appears to throw a punch that rises to the level of felony assault, and police are asking for the public to provide information as to his identity and whereabouts.
A handful of people suffered minor injuries in the brawl, and at least one person suffered a serious injury. None of the injured were children, however.
Lakewood Baseball Club season in the books https://t.co/X47w7pp1NZ pic.twitter.com/4cgV44pOge
— The Suburban Times (@thesubtimes) June 19, 2019
Police spokesman John Romero said that he was appalled at what the kids had to witness.
“I think the saddest part in all of this is we’re talking about a 7-year-old baseball game. I think it’s the parents who have to grow up,” he said.
As it turns out, adults assaulting each other at youth sports games is surprisingly common. For example, as USA Today reported at the time, a June 2018 baseball game between two 12-and-under teams went awry as parents from the opposing teams got into a verbal altercation. Soon it had devolved into an all-out brawl, with a handful of adults throwing punches and wrestling each other on the ground.
