04/23/24
June 21, 2002
Football tackle leads to an assault charge : A 13-year-old football player came hard at the opposing team's quarterback, tackling him from the side and knocking him to the ground. What happened immediately afterward is in question, but the quarterback's arm was broken and the boy who made the tackle is charged with second-degree assault.
posted by srboisvert to football at 04:27 PM - 2 comments
This is a tough call, but I think its appropriate that the tackler is being charged. Maybe he didn't stomp on his arm, and maybe he did, but as long as there are witnesses that will testify that there was some intent to injure after the tackle, it's got to be addresed. Hopefully, the truth will be sorted out in court. The authorities really should have inteviewed the tackler, though. Not doing so is just bad police work. I can remember two incidents like this from my childhood and high school years, and I'm willing to bet that it's not uncommon. No one was prosecuted when I was a kid, but that doesn't mean anything. If it can be proved that there was intent to injure, and the tackler did whatever he did after the play and/or clearly acted in a way that does not fit within the rules of the game, he should be charged. In a case like this, though, the kid should be given only community service. 13 year-olds have a lot of growing up to do, and a little humiliation and such might teach the little hothead a valuable lesson. Man, I'm getting old.
posted by Samsonov14 at 01:56 AM on June 22, 2002
Reading the article, it appears that he is being charged with assault, not for tackling, but for getting up afterwords and stomping on the quarterback's arm (breaking both bones). 10 witnesses have come forward to corroborate this.