KENTUCKY

       Assault Archives

2004

BASKETBALL – A father and son accused of assaulting a basketball referee during a Kentucky high school game avoided jail time. Terry and Nicholas Samons were both charged with assault of a sports official – a Class A misdemeanor – for allegedly attacking referee Mike Walker following a March 2004 East Ridge-Allen Central high school tournament game. The postgame incident was captured on video. According to police and prosecutors, the two men confronted Walker because they thought that their brother and son, who played for Allen Central, was fouled in the final seconds of the game. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors dismissed the case against Nicholas Samons, while his father, Terry, was sentenced to 90 days probation and banned from Floyd County public sporting events and juvenile sporting events.

BASKETBALL – A Kentucky little league basketball game Jan. 3, 2004, at Adair County Middle School turned violent when a parent attacked a referee. Robby Shelton, the father of one of the fifth-grade boys playing in the game and a teacher in the Adair County School system, now faces a third-degree charge of assault on a sports official for confronting referee Tom Opdenbrouw. As Opdenbrouw was ejecting Shelton’s son and another player for fighting, Shelton allegedly blindsided the official with a punch from behind. Police were called to the scene and Shelton was taken into custody.

2003

BASEBALL – Three Owensboro, Ky., men, one of them an umpire, have been banned from Daviess County parks and playgrounds for five years because of a scuffle during a June 30, 2003, tee ball game for five- and six-year-olds. A girl was accidentally struck in the face and injured during the altercation. Roger Bratcher Jr., 30, allegedly became upset when umpire Eddie Smith called one of the kids out who was up at the plate. Words were exchanged and then Bratcher Jr. confronted Smith. Bratcher Jr. was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening and disorderly conduct for his part in the incident. He was later released after posting bond. Bratcher Jr., Smith and Travis Bratcher, the other man involved in the confrontation, can appeal the playground ban in two years, according to the Burns Playground Board.

BASKETBALL - By Patricia Lynch Kimbro, Herald-Leader Staff Writer. [in part] - A Grant County high school chemistry teacher, who also works as a sports official at high school basketball games, said he was accosted in Lexington, following a semi-final game of the boy's Sweet Sixteen, which he'd attended as a "spectator."

The irate fan, according to the referee, was upset because he had ejected a Madison Central Coach, from a game versus Scott County three weeks previous. The referee said he knew the man was upset about the ejection because, "there were several people from that school standing there watching him and laughing when he struck me."

1999

The referee was grabbed, hit in the face, and fell to the ground. An assault report was filed with the Lexington Police Department.(3/17/99)

BASKETBALL - A high school basketball official was assaulted and struck on the temple, at the end of a game, at Pulaski County High School in early 1999. The attacker was fined $200 plus court costs, given a 30-day suspended jail term, placed on probation for two years and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. The assailant was identified as a fan, who had come down out of the bleachers, and assaulted the official, because he was upset with a call he had made. (02/12/99)

1996


BASKETBALL - In Alexandria, Kentucky, two referees were attacked after stopping an AAU game between the Kenton County Boys and Girls Club and H & W Sports Team. The incident was due to the coach being ejected from a game. The officials were kicked and beaten with chairs. 10 players were involved in the attack as well, who were between the ages of 12-14. The officials sustained a broken nose, fractured jaw, multiple bruises and head trauma. The coach eventually was convicted of 4th degree assault, menacing and 2nd degree rioting. He was fined $1,000. (2/6/96)


Home Page | Issues Facing Officials Today | Model Legislation  | Current State Statutes | Legislative Efforts & Updates | State & Legislative Resource Guide | Assault Archives