Officials said that a Seattle man faces misdemeanor charges of assault after shoving at least two child referees during his son’s Sunday hockey game. Police said the attack appeared “unprovoked.” The man is accused by police of kicking the two referees, ages 12-14, onto their backs while on the ice.
A police report states that the man “acted to defend his son” following an altercation between him and a member of the opposing team. The other athlete punched and kicked his son for thirty seconds, he told the police. “The referees failed to intervene in the incident.”
The police have not named the man publicly, stating that he was not booked in jail yet.
The man had left the rink when the police arrived but was stopped at a red light not long after.
The police report states that there was no fight and the game had been stopped. He said he was on the ice to “defend his son” and “break up the fight.” According to the report, “the man walked straight towards one referee” and “pushed him with sufficient force to knock him on his back”,
Police said that there were many witnesses and several took videos of the incident. Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association posted a video of the incident to social media.
Seattle Fire Department treated the teens who complained of hip and elbow pain but did not require hospitalization. Police said that both teens were wearing protective equipment at the time.
The man told police that he was unaware “that the referee was a juvenile, and he would be willing to participate in the investigation as required.”
Jody Carpenter, President of the Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association, said the organization is investigating the incident in a social media statement.
“The video we are sharing is difficult to watch, but we must confront the seriousness of what happened,” Carpenter said. “This incident serves as a stark reminder of why maintaining a safe and respectful environment in our sport is so essential.”
Carpenter stated, “This kind of egregious, outrageous behavior displayed in the video has no place in our sport.”
Carpenter continued: “We want all hockey players to be aware that sportsmanship and respect for officials are fundamental to the sport of hockey. If we do not uphold these standards, then we are failing the game.”
