Terrifying moment group of youths and their parents in beat up a basketball referee
Terrifying moment teen basketball players AND their parents beat up referee at ‘Love of the Game’ event in Christian church and left him needing 30 stitches
Footage of the incident shows how the ‘Love of the Game’ event at the Stronghold Christian Church in Lithonia on Sunday afternoon turns violentThree young basketball players from one team and two adults can be seen chasing the referee around the court, before punching him The referee was rushed to a nearby hospital, and is expected to recover
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This is the terrifying moment a group of teenagers and their parents assaulted a basketball referee at a Georgia church athletic facility, leaving him so badly injured that he needed 30 stitches.
Footage of the incident shows how the ‘Love of the game’ event at the Stronghold Christian Church in Lithonia on Sunday afternoon turns violent.
Three young basketball players from one team and two adults can be seen chasing the referee around the court and pinning him to the floor.
The group then proceed to viciously punch and kick the referee, causing him serious injuries.
The referee was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he got 30 stitches. He is expected to make a full recovery, TMZ reported.
The violent attack is being investigated by the Dekalb County Police Department. Nobody has been arrested.
The bloodied referee has not been identified.
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Three young basketball players and two adults chased and punched a referee at a game in Lithonia, Georgia, on Sunday
In the video, three young basketball players from one team and two adults can be seen chasing the referee around the court and pinning him to the floor
The church’s pastor, Benjamin Gaither, issued an statement condemning the attack.
‘It is truly unfortunate about the turn of events that took place during the basketball game held at our facility this weekend,’ Gaither wrote on Facebook.
‘While we cannot control people, it is our hope and prayer that those who enter our facility will conduct themselves in the best manner.’
In the video, which has since gone viral, the referee can be seen trying to run away from the teenagers and the adults chasing him.
He tries to defend himself but is pinned to the floor, cornered and kicked repeatedly. Spectators can be heard saying ‘No!’ in the background.
Another referee is seen watching the attack but does not step in to help.
The incident happened at the Stronghold Christian Church in Lithonia, Georgia
The church’s pastor, Benjamin Gaither, issued an statement condemning the attack
The referee tried to defend himself but was pinned to the floor, cornered and kicked repeatedly
Police were called to the church after receiving reports that someone had been physically assaulted at the Stronghold Christian Church on Sunday afternoon.
No one has been charged or arrested in connection to the assault, but officers confirmed there is an ongoing investigation.
‘The referee appears outnumbered from the very start,’ basketball coach Parris Cherry told local news station WSBTV.
‘I was appalled. It was a very scary video. To see the adults instigate and then the kids follow up to the point where it was the kids who chased down the referee at the end of the video, it’s just disgusting. And it seems like there wasn’t any adult trying to break it up.’
Although witnesses told WSBTV the attack happened during an Amateur Athletic Union game, the organization denied that it was a sanctioned event.
