Assault Archives

2005

BASKETBALL – Charges of assault and menacing were filed against an assistant basketball coach accused of choking and threatening an 18-year-old referee in Ohio. Craig Glascott, 42, Hudson, Ohio, is accused of attacking and threatening to kill referee Chad Shepherd.

The incident occurred Jan. 16, 2005, in the parking lot outside Archbishop Hoban High School. St. Barnabas lost to Holy Name in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) game involving fifth-grade teams. Shepherd said the St. Barnabas head coach initiated a conversation after the game, which Shepherd said ended amicably. As Shepherd and his 14-year-old brother, who served as his partner in the game, were cleaning snow off their car, they were approached by Glascott and Glascott’s parents. The trio initiated an argument that included the Glascotts using their arms and fingers to accentuate their comments. Shepherd said Glascott then began choking him while saying he would kill Shepherd. After Glascott was pulled off Shepherd, the referees ran into the school and contacted police.

BASEBALL – Jacques Jones, a parent of an Ohio high school baseball player, was arrested for allegedly attacking the umpire of his son’s game. Umpire Jimmy Craig pressed charges against Jones following the alleged assault that took place at a reserve squad game between New Albany and Heath high schools May 4, 2005. After Craig ejected a player from Heath, Craig said Jones cursed at him, told Craig he wanted to meet him in the parking lot and pushed him.

2002

HOCKEY – A 13-year-old player for a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, youth hockey team was charged with assault in juvenile court after a referee was hit on the ice after a game Nov. 9, 2002, police said. The player, Brandon Clark, was suspended from play and practice for 30 days by his league. The suspension could be extended to a year following a hearing by USA Hockey, the sport’s national governing organization. Clark punched a referee in the face, knocking him down, police said. The youth told police he was defending himself because he was being choked by the referee while being restrained.

2001

FOOTBALL – The two men charged with assaulting the football officials during a postgame melee in Ohio in which more than 100 angry fans rushed the field in November 2000 were convicted and sentenced.

Todd E. Meldrum, 37, was found guilty of assault and resisting arrest on Jan. 24, 2001. Massillon Municipal Judge Edward J. Elum imposed the maximum penalty and sentenced Meldrum to six months in jail and fined him $500 for the assault, as well as another 90 days in jail and a $250 fine for resisting arrest. During Meldrum’s trial, Donald Walker, the referee who was assaulted, testified that Meldrum struck him from behind. Meldrum was also ordered to stay away from all school property within the court’s jurisdiction for five years.

In a separate case, Steven S. Smith, 41, himself an Ohio High School Athletic Association basketball official, changed his plea to guilty in the wake of Meldrum’s conviction. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed the resisting arrest charge. Smith was sentenced to five days in jail, 85 days of house arrest and another 90 days in jail suspended. Smith had put Walker into a headlock and pushed a police officer.

2000

FOOTBALL - The assaults occurred as the officiating crew was walking off the field after a Nov. 4, 2000, first-round state playoff game that Massillon lost to Marion Harding, 17-13.

More than 100 people rushed the field, in a game between Massillon and Marion Harding, at a state playoff game. Five adults were initially charged with assault for attacking a high school football official, as the crew left the field. The crowd became angry when the officials called back an apparent game-winning touchdown due to a holding penalty with four seconds remaining.