During a youth basketball competition at the Spooky Nook Sports complex located in Lancaster County, an incident unfolded where the team’s coach assaulted a referee. The coach was of the opinion that a decision made by the officer was incorrect, which provoked a physical altercation and resulted in the referee sustaining injuries. The person involved was later identified as 41-year-old Jomo Belfor, a resident of Mount Vernon, New York.
After disagreeing with a foul issued by the referee during the match held in East Hempfield Township complex, an argument ensued between Belfor and the referee. His vocal disagreement with the call attracted a penalty itself, resulting in Belfor receiving a technical foul due to his argumentative behavior.
Despite the technical foul levied against him, Belfor did not cease the argument. Recognizing the need for intervention, the referee called upon the complex’s security staff to escort Belfor off the premises. However, the situation escalated drastically instead of calming down.
Rather than complying with the referee’s request and following the security team, Belfor confronted the referee face-to-face. In a shocking turn of events, he head-butted the referee, instigating chaos on the court. This violent action prompted multiple individuals to storm onto the court and push the referee.
In the heat of the confrontation, Belfor delivered another blow, this time a punch to the referee’s face. This incident disrupted the event, causing bystanders and witnesses to hurriedly identify the person responsible for the assault.
On responding to the incident, East Hempfield police took note of the suspect. One of the event coordinators present managed to identify Belfor as the person behind the attack. Following this, the police further verified this claim by comparing him with his driver’s license photo from New York.
Vital in bringing light to the circumstances surrounding the incident was a recorded video clip. This video, shared with the police, captured Belfor’s argumentative interaction with the referee as well as him violently snatching a basketball from the referee’s hands prior to the assault.
The content of the video lent credibility to the referee’s account of the events that unfolded on the court. It laid out an unobstructed narrative of Belfor’s aggressive actions leading up to the altercation.
The referee was considerably injured due to the assault. He was left with a noticeably bruised, black and blue eye, a chipped tooth, and his lip was swollen and bleeding. This physical evidence of the violent confrontation was consistent with the narrative laid out by the video and the eye-witness accounts.
Legal consequences were quickly imposed on Belfor for his actions. On the following Monday after the incident, he was charged with a misdemeanor due to the assault carried out on a sports official as it breached sports and legal norms. Along with this, the court also handed him summary counts for his behavior, including charges for harassment and disorderly conduct.
Belfor’s arraignment was scheduled to take place on January 2, where he will formally respond to the charges laid against him. It will officially mark the beginning of the legal process ensuing from the violent confrontation.
The court records highlighted the fact that it was a youth basketball game but didn’t specify the age range of the players who participated. This information is particularly significant as it underscores the age-sensitive environment in which this event occurred.
Further information about Belfor was obtained from his personal website, which stated him as a firefighter by profession, serving in Mount Vernon. His career choice and the recent incident certainly result in contrasting portrayals, drawing a stark disparity between his usual vocation and recent actions.
Youth Basketball Coach Assaults Referee During Game in Lancaster County appeared first on Real News Now.
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