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A post-game handshake between rival high school football teams fight was terminated by police officer which started raining heavily pepper spray on tour Team,
Minutes after the end of a close game between the Washington Tigers and the Cardinal Ritter College Prep Lions in Massillon, ohioA fight broke out in the handshake line after the game Friday night. Fox 2 Now reported.
footage Captured by videographer Dylan Kelly It showed coaches separating players as they were seen yelling at each other on the field. Police officers could be seen throwing pepper spray at players and coaches of Cardinal Ritter, the visiting team that had just lost 28–14.
Players could be seen running and screaming in terror as officers sprayed a large amount of chemical irritant in their direction. Cardinal Ritter College Prep, a top 25 Missouri program from St. Louis, traveled more than 500 miles to Massillon for the game.
Eyewitnesses said a chaotic brawl erupted after a player was pushed as the two teams were shaking hands after the game. Sports Illustrated.
The Massillon Police Department said it was not yet ready to release a statement regarding the incident. It was unclear why officials sprayed mace on only one team.
At least one Cardinal Ritter player, 16-year-old defensive back Deion “DJ” Ross, suffered chemical burns to his face. Soon after, a teammate ran to help him wash his eyes with water from a Gatorade bottle.
Several other players and coaches also suffered chemical burns, while some others who were not sprayed said they were having trouble breathing due to the chemicals being in the air.
Ross’s mother, Ashley Ashburn, condemned the incident on social media, writing that her son “gave everything he had on that field, and instead of getting back on the bus with his teammates, he was subjected to unnecessary force.” She told Fox 2 she still hasn’t received any explanation from police as to what happened.
“When I saw the video it was very disappointing,” she told the outlet. “It was worrying. I’m constantly asking questions, like what happened? Was it a fight? Did the police give any kind of warning?”
Ashburn says she has also contacted the Ohio Civil Rights Commission about the incident.
Kelly, who filmed the incident, said players from both teams continued fighting throughout the game, but the incident was still scary to watch.
“It was shocking to see it happen in front of me,” he said. “It was very eye-opening. Like, why would this happen? Why would you pepper-spray, mace a group of high school students?”
In a statement, Cardinal Ritter president Tamico Armstead said, “We are aware of the incident that occurred at last week’s Massillon, OH, football game, and we were deeply disturbed by a video of what happened.”
Armstead said the school is helping families and witnesses file formal complaints with the Massillon Police Department.