A wild video emerged this weekend showing an off-duty police officer assaulting a coach at a youth soccer game in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The incident happened on March 1 on the field of Teamworks, an indoor sports complex in Northborough, following a match between two all-girl teams.
In the video, the off-duty Worcester officer is seen crossing the field to confront the opposing team’s coach. After a brief exchange of words, he grabs the coach by his shirt and slams him into a fence before wrestling him to the ground. The clip shows other spectators jumping into the fray to try to pull him off, and many of the young players appear distressed, with one girl breaking down in tears.
Parents who attended the game would not identify the assailant when approached by a reporter from ABC affiliate WCVB, but Northborough police confirmed to the outlet that he is a 36-year-old officer from West Boylston who is also the parent of one of the players.
After launching an investigation into the incident, police charged the officer with assault and battery on March 8, a week after the fight. However, his identity is still a mystery to the public. He was put on administrative leave, and according to a press release, his identity will not be revealed until he appears in a Westborough District Court to face the charges.
The clip of the attack has the local community on edge. Despite the officer being put on leave, many are voicing concerns over his lack of “self-control” and are questioning the police department’s reluctance to identify him.
“Pretty risky business arming someone with a weapon who can’t even exhibit self-control at a kids sporting event,” wrote one, followed by another comment, “Smh…such a shame! We as a parents be having our children involved with sports to avoid being in the street causing problems and here we have an officer causing havoc at the kids sport event! Such an embarrassment!”
“Fragile ego at a kids game? Imagine the fragile ego he has with the uniform on and patrolling,” wrote yet another.
“Off duty Worcester Police Officer assaults coach. You are a disgrace to the City of Worcester. I can only imagine how many times you’ve used excessive force during arrests,” read one post, echoing many other comments.
The Northborough Police Department, however, said protecting the identity of an attacker before arraignment is standard procedure.
“The Northborough Police Department does not identify defendants who are being summoned to court. The individual being charged will be identified once he is arraigned in Westborough District Court,” read the press release. The statement added that the department will have no further comment because this is an active case.
