Parents involved in massive brawl at Little League game, as 13-yr-old umpire delivers scathing call: 'Grow the hell up'
A shocking clip has emerged from a Little League game of seven-year-olds in Colorado, where a brawl broke out between parents after a 13-year-old umpire made a controversial call. Reports state that over a dozen rival spectators, including women, began fighting after the umpire said that one of the players had batted out of order during the match at Westgate Elementary School in Lakewood.
Authorities said that one person was seriously injured in the brawl, which occurred shortly before noon on Saturday, June 15. Chaotic scenes were captured on cellphone footage, which showed nearly 20 adults brawling in the dirt as horrified young players ran from the field.
Lakewood Police Department said that at least four people have been cited for disorderly conduct and fighting in public. Investigators have also released footage of the brawl in an attempt to track down others involved in the incident, particularly a man wearing a white T-shirt and teal shorts who was seen flooring another man with a punch.
The clip shows a man punch a rival team member while his back was turned, stirring a violent brawl as other spectators too began trading blows. The man in the white t-shirt is seen punching another man in the face before dragging him to ground. Witnesses present can be heard screaming, with one shouting, "Call the cops." One spectator can also be seen praying. The clip also shows an injured victim being shielded by another man who protects him with his body as he cradles his head.
These adults took over the field and began assaulting each other on 6/15 during a youth baseball game. We're looking for any info, in particular to ID the man in the white shirt/teal shorts. Several people have already been cited in this fight and injuries were reported. pic.twitter.com/ieenhwCrbU
— Lakewood Police (@LakewoodPDCO) June 18, 2019
After the police department made the video public, viewers on social media denounced the behavior of the parents, calling them "juvenile" and adding that they should be ashamed of themselves.
One social media user, Mary Griego, wrote: "I'm watching this and it brings tears to my eyes. These poor kids have to watch this. Come on parents, grow the hell up."
Lakewood Police Department spokesman John Romero, while speaking to CBS Denver, said: "This went beyond a simple shoving match. Fists were flying, as you can see there's fights all over the field. There's several fights going on at the same time between men and women. I believe it was over someone batting out of order. It was just over a simple ruling. A simple baseball ruling is what caused this. It's something that people are gawking at and there's shock value but it's serious.These are serious things that happened during a youth baseball game."