A youth basketball tournament at VALE Co-Op in Berlin, Conn., descended into chaos on Saturday when a brawl broke out among adults on the court. Three men involved in the fight were arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace.
According to WFSB, video captured at the game shows a surge of activity on the court, with youth athletes surrounding the fighting adults. The official repeatedly blows his whistle, attempting to bring order, but the men continue to punch and tackle each other.
Police were called to the scene by several concerned spectators. After reviewing video footage, the police arrested and charged Lauriston Beech, Miguel Cabrera and Edward Dones. Police have not confirmed whether the men involved were coaches, parents, or other officials, but spectators in the video of the incident can be heard referring to the men as coaches.
In a statement, the police confirmed that “there were no injuries reported by any of those involved in the altercation.”
“It’s sad that this is happening, you know? The parents and coaches should be an example for the kids. This was not an example,” Mariola Blaszczyk, a spectator at Saturday’s tournament, told WFSB after the incident. “I don’t remember this with my son. He was playing. I don’t remember it with my daughter who was in sports. I don’t know what happened. We were just cheering the kids, not fighting,”
Said another spectator, ““It’s just sad to see. I remember playing youth sports, everyone was friends, having a good time. Now parents are taking it and making it about them. It’s just sad to see your son or someone try to play a game, and you’re just ruining it for everyone else.”
