A referee was attacked and beaten on court at the end of a game by members of a Cincinnati girls basketball team during a tournament in Indiana on Sunday. Video shows the female referee being swarmed and sucker punched at the end of a blowout game that was called a few minutes early as tensions rose. Witnesses say the referee was kicked after falling on the court during the mob attack. No arrests have been made, but the incident is being investigated the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The Indy Star reported there was one minor injury.
The attack occurred during the Next Level Classic in Fairland, Indiana, in a game between the Dynasty Sports Performance Heat from Owensboro, Kentucky and the Cincinnati Indians Elite.
WLWT-TV reported the coach of the opposing team, Bobby Ewing, said another coach threatened to shoot him in the parking lot (excerpt):
Ewing said it turned even more violent when players stomped on the referee.
“They had her on the ground. She was laying on the ground, and they were kicking her,” Ewing said.
Eventually, Ewing said the Cincinnati players were escorted out of Triton Central High School, where the tournament was held.
What he says he heard at that time was just as disturbing as what he saw.
“I get to the door where they’re getting escorted out, the other team from the ref, and I hear an assistant coach say, ‘I got five shots for you in the parking lot.’ I know what five shots in the parking lot mean. That’s a gun,” Ewing said.
WLWT-TV video report on the attack:
WISH-TV spoke to the father of a player who filmed the attack (excerpt):
A fight at the Next Level Classic travel basketball tournament ended with multiple officials ganged up on and at least one struck by a player, all of which was caught on camera.
Randy Lane filmed the video during the Indiana U.S. Amateur Basketball tournament.
His daughter was playing for the Dynasty Sports Performance Heat, a team based out of Owensboro, Kentucky, when he says the opposing team, the Cincinnati Indians Elite, made expletive comments to the referees and his daughter’s team.
“The girls were threatening saying hey why don’t you meet me in the parking lot? Some parents were also, during a basketball play, hollering don’t let her do that to you. ‘F’ her up,” Lane said. “Just getting real chippy.”
There is a clear shot in the video where you can see an official struck during the altercation.
Unblurred video of the attack was posted to Facebook with this caption:
“Cincinnati Indians Elite coaches and players attack the referees at a tournament in Fishers Indiana. A grown man beating on a female referee. That was the most teamwork they displayed all day. They got beat 44-10 and the game had to be called 4 minutes into the second half. They interrupted another game just to get at the referee’s.”
Another Facebook video filmed from the court shows the brawl and attack.
Report by WTHR-TV includes court video of attack:
This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit
