Assault Archives

2005

6/05

School, Association, State Act Quickly After Assault

KONA, Hawaii – While assaults on officials have unfortunately become all-too common, Kainoa Abril’s Feb. 9 attack of basketball official Mason Souza led to swift and decisive action by state athletic and governmental leaders. Abril’s attack of Souza was captured on videotape.

The incident began when Abril, a senior guard for Konawaena High School, shoved Waiakea junior Scott Ichinotsubo. After two more incidents involving Abril and Ichinotsubo, Souza stopped the game and ejected both players.

As Souza was near the scorer’s table, Abril charged from his bench and drove his shoulder into Souza’s midsection, apparently attempting to knock down Souza. Coaches quickly intervened. Souza filed a criminal complaint after the game.

Konawaena officials acted quickly, suspending Abril from all school-related activities – including prom and graduation – for the rest of the year. Abril’s mother said she planned to appeal the penalties.

At a three-hour meeting, Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) officials sanctioned Konawaena’s basketball program, placing the school on one year’s probation. The federation’s bylaws will be rewritten in stronger language in hopes of deterring future attacks.

Abril offered several excuses for his actions against Souza. They included the fact that he has low blood sugar and hadn’t eaten that day, that his playing time in the game was reduced and because he thought Souza held a grudge against him.

"I thought the ref didn’t like me," Abril said. "I thought he was unfair … I wasn’t really mad at the ref. I was just mad at the call."

Days after the incident, a state senate committee scheduled a hearing on a bill that would make it a felony to assault or threaten an athletic official. An assault bill was introduced two weeks after the Abril incident. The legislation called for assaults on officials to be considered a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

But after a public hearing that included testimony from Raymond Benz, a soccer official who had been attacked in a February 2003 match, the committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs tabled the bill for more study.

Contributing source: Honolulu Advertiser

BASKETBALL – Kainoa Abril’s Feb. 9, 2005, attack of basketball official Mason Souza led to swift and decisive action by state athletic and governmental leaders in Hawaii. Abril’s attack of Souza was captured on videotape. The incident began when Abril, a senior guard for Konawaena High School, shoved Waiakea junior Scott Ichinotsubo. After two more incidents involving Abril and Ichinotsubo, Souza stopped the game and ejected both players.

As Souza was near the scorer’s table, Abril charged from his bench and drove his shoulder into Souza’s midsection, apparently attempting to knock down Souza. Coaches quickly intervened. Souza filed a criminal complaint after the game.