Michigan high school ref pelted with garbage by basketball team, coach after playoff loss
A Michigan referee was pelted with garbage thrown by a high school assistant basketball coach, a player, and fans upset about his calls after losing a playoff game.The chaos erupted moments after Benton Harbor High School lost to Buchanan 39-36 in the district semifinals in Dowagiac, about 130 miles outside of Detroit, on Feb.26, WNDU reported.Startling video obtained by the outlet shows the referee, who was not named, getting hit on top of the head by a basketball thrown from the Benton Harbor bench area, which hit him with enough force to make him stumble and reach out to the scorer’s table for support.The gray-haired official begins to stagger away for safety but is then pelted in the face with a water bottle, causing him to lose balance and fall onto the court.He appears to roll around on the ground in pain as two police officers and others rush over to block any further projectiles from hitting him.The ref was then pulled up off the court and was seen leaning on a cop and another man while they rushed him out of the gymnasium for his safety.However, the Dowagiac Police Department told WNDU that the attack didn’t stop when he exited the gym.As the ref was in the hallway trying to leave the building, he was hit with a notebook.
It’s unclear if the official sustained any serious injuries during the assault.Police say the unidentified assistant coach, a juvenile player, and two adult spectators were outraged by the official calling 22 fouls against Benton Harbor — compared to Buchanan’s 8 fouls.Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr.Kelvin Butts confirmed to the outlet “an assistant basketball coach was involved in the postgame incident with an official,” and he has since been fired.Butts said that the district is “actively reviewing” the student athlete involved to see if they violated any “policies, procedures, and the Student Code of Conduct.”“Benton Harbor Area Schools District and the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Asso...