The job of a sports referee is never an easy one, nor does it ever have a dull moment. Fans, coaches, or players will either blame you, harass you, or in some cases make you regret putting on the Foot Locker uniform in the first place.
We have covered too many stories this year where a parent or coach assaulted a referee at a youth sporting event.
But in this case, one high school basketball referee wasn’t having any of the disrespect, and in his rendition of Dave Chappelle’s “Keeping it Real” skit, he ended up getting arrested after assaulting a high school basketball coach at a game in Southern California this month.
First reported by TMZ, 26-year-old Brandon Knapper was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury after punching a basketball coach on Oct. 21.
This altercation took place during a Fall League game between Arlington and Oak Hills, and sometime in the second half Oak Hills coach Rob Alexander reportedly got very frustrated with Knapper’s officiating which eventually started an argument between the two before Knapper had ever laid hands on Alexander.
In a video also obtained by TMZ, Knapper is seen approaching Alexander on the sidelines as the two were still chirping at each other before Knapper began punching on the high school coach. As the two went to the ground during the scuffle, Knapper continued to punch Alexander before players and others got in the middle to break the fight up.
Was Knapper Disciplined For Assault On Coach?
Though police arrived at the scene, nobody was arrested at the time.
After the fight was over and fans and players intervened, they separated the two and the game didn’t finish. Knapper was sent to another area to keep him away from Alexander while Alexander was being tended to for the damage he sustained. The coach was then transported to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
According to TMZ, Alexander is expected to return to his coaching and teaching duties soon as well. He also requested prosecution on Knapper as well.
Knapper himself in to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, Oct. 22, and was later released on a $25,000 bond.
Oak Hill’s Hesperia Unified School District also released a statement about the incident.
“The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible.”
“We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately.”
Knapper on the other hand, will most likely never referee another game in his life unless he changes his identity.
He played college ball at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Cal State. Suffice to say that his basketball career didn’t pan out the way he wanted it to, but he stayed close to the game by becoming a high school referee.
Anyone who is a sports fan can understand anger toward referees, but Knapper decided that enough was enough for him.
