A youth basketball game in Fort Wayne, Indiana descended into chaos, after a parent watching on was involved in a violent altercation with the match referee.
According to WANE-TV, the incident took place during a Gym Rats Basketball Tournament match between Team Robinson 2027-PINK and the Bluewater Hurricanes. In a clip that was shared across social media, the parent in question is seen making their way down to the court to confront the official.
The altercation then leads to both sides throwing punches at each other, before the squabble leads to the court floor, with the parent ending on top of the referee.
In an attempt to split up the fight, fellow parents and some of the youngsters competing in the match intervened to pull the fighting pair apart. According to the report, the parent in question was escorted out of the sports centre was unable to return.
The altercation has been addressed by the Northeast Indiana Officials Association, with who the referee in question is a member of. The association's president Joe Rudolph slammed the attack, and claimed he is 'fed up and 'tired' with the treatment of officials.
Rudolph told WPTA-TV: "He’s [the official] well-known. He’s well-respected. For him to take the abuse that he did over the weekend, it’s disheartening. "It’s hard because we’ve reached a level where we’re all fed up. We’re tired. We’re tired of the treatment of officials.
"When fans take it personally, and they want to either come on the floor or make threats from the stands, that’s when things really change, that’s when things get pushed over the line, over the limit." According to TMZ the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff's Department were not called to the scene.
