A Wellington, Florida flag football coach was arrested and now faces a felony battery charge after a postgame handshake line allegedly turned into a brawl. According to WPBF, a 15-year-old opposing player says the coach choked her until everything went black. The coach told police he was only trying to break it up.
Here's what WPBF reports:
- The spark: The player says she traded words with a player from the other team as the teams shook hands after the game. She says that player grabbed her hair and the two started fighting.
- The coach: Investigators say the other player's father, Brandon Mayer, who also coaches her team, stepped in. The 15-year-old says he wrapped an arm around her neck from behind and squeezed.
- The player's account: She told WPBF the hold was tight enough that she knew it was deliberate. She called the experience "very scary, very terrifying" and said she blacked out.
- The father's account: The player's father says he heard someone yell that she was being choked, turned, and saw the coach's hand on her neck. He says he then took the coach to the floor.
- Injuries: The player was taken to a hospital with neck and stomach pain. She also says the coach's daughter kicked her multiple times during the fight.
- The defense: A police report says Mayer denied grabbing the girl's neck or body. He told investigators his hands were positioned to separate the two players.
- Other charges: Mayer's daughter, who is a minor, faces a misdemeanor battery charge.
WPBF said its attempts to reach Mayer for comment were unsuccessful. The player's family disputes his version of events. Her mother said they are pressing charges, and that if it keeps him from coaching again, so be it.
Two accounts, one police report, and a pending case. Nothing here has been decided in court, and Mayer is entitled to his day there. What's not in dispute is that a handshake line that should have taken ten seconds ended with a teenager in the hospital and two people facing charges.
Source: WPBF