A basketball game between Lorain (Ohio) High School and a school from Toledo was cut short Saturday afternoon after a brawl broke out on the court, with an 18-year-old spectator ultimately charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct.
As reported by Justin McMullin of Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC, citing a release from the Lorain Police Department, the incident started with a fight on the court between players during a varsity game between Lorain and Toledo Rogers High School. Officers from the LPD were already on site working as hired security for the game and worked with school safety personnel to separate the players, the department said.
That's when an 18-year-old man left the bleachers and "entered the court and unnecessarily interjected himself into the altercation," police say, as reported by McMullin. The man, identified as Lorain resident Jay'l Diaz, was quickly arrested taken to the Lorain County Jail on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and assault.
"His actions disrupted the efforts of law enforcement and safety personnel to manage the situation," police explained.
Video of the incident and its aftermath provided by The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria does not appear to show the arrest of Diaz, but several spectators can be seen on the court amid the fracas as police and other personnel work to separate the players.
"The Lorain Police Department would like to emphasize the importance of maintaining safety and decorum at public events," the department said in a statement, as reported by WKYC. "While we understand the passion that high school sporting events often bring, entering the competition area during a game, especially during a confrontation, puts the public, staff, and players at an increased risk of harm. Such actions will not be tolerated."
Lorain City Schools said in a statement Saturday that the district has "zero tolerance for behavior that disrupts school events or threatens the safety of students, staff, families or guests."
"We are actively gathering additional details and reviewing all available information, including security footage," the district said.
"At this time, we ask our Titans, parents staff and community members to refrain from sharing video footage or unverified details on social media. If you have information or footage related to the incident, please submit it to [email protected] or directly to the Lorain Police Department."
