A father and son allegedly teamed up to punch out the son’s high school basketball coach because the teen wasn’t getting enough playing time.
The duo, who have been charged with assault, pleaded not guilty in court this morning, and claim instead that the coach attacked them first.
The beatdown allegedly occurred last Saturday evening at Trinity High School in the Louisville, Kentucky, area. Apparently witnesses at the scene detained the father and son until cops or security arrived to break up the fight, WDRB.com explained . No arrests were made at that time, however.
The Franklins were subsequently arrested on Tuesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice in Louisville when they were reportedly in the process of lodging a criminal complaint against the coach.
Parent Demetrius Franklin, 48, allegedly approached Doss High School basketball coach Tony Williams after the loss, started arguing, and then punched him in the face. Daelyn Franklin, 18, his son and one of Williams’ players, also allegedly punched the coach.
“Daelyn plays for Williams at Doss, and he and his father were apparently upset over Daelyn’s lack of playing time. Williams told police that he smelled alcohol on the elder Franklin’s breath,” MSN reported .
The Franklin family has a far different story about what happened, according to WAVE.
“In a police report, the elder Franklin said Williams started to mouth off to him and his family after the game. Daelyn Franklin told police that the fight was about to turn physical when people in the crowd restrained his father as well as Williams. That’s when he says Williams reached over the crowd and began striking his father, who was restrained.”
Daelyn Franklin also claimed that he only made physical contact with the coach when he grabbed one of Williams’ arms to prevent him from assaulting his dad.
The PA announced at the game witnessed the melee.
“There was this big fight going on, fists flying and people falling over chairs and knocking the door open and tumbling outside.”
The Franklins are due back in court (a legal court that is, not the basketball kind) on February 13.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation.
First-year coach Williams was a hoops star at the University of Louisville, after which he played pro ball overseas for 10 years. Although he allegedly suffered injuries to his head, face, neck, and lower back, he coached the team in its next game Wednesday night. Going into that game, Williams’ squad had compiled a 17-4 record , and is considered one of the top teams in the state.
[image credit: J. smith ]
