Moment referee is body-slammed by spectator in wild brawl sparked after he slaps a cellphone out of the man’s hands at girls’ basketball game
- Brawl broke out between a spectator and a referee during Prime Midwest Event at Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana
- Coach of Baylor Basketball, a girls’ team, got upset after referee called a technical foul, and left the game near the end of first quarter
- Spectator confronted the referee and began filming, and the referee slapped the phone out of the man’s hand
- Baylor player ran over and tried to hit the referee, and the spectator punched him
- Spectator later picked up the referee off the floor, flipped him over and slammed him down
A girls’ basketball game in Indiana was marred by violence when a referee has gotten into an altercation with a spectator and a player, and was body-slammed on the court.
The incident took place at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield last weekend and was caught on video, which has since gone viral on social media.
The venue was hosting the Prime Midwest Event for youth teams, in which Baylor Basketball played against Indiana Elite.
A fight erupted during the Prime Midwest Event at Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana, after a referee (pictured with grey hair) called a foul
Video documenting the incident shows a man in a yellow shirt walk up to the referee and begin videotaping him. The referee slaps the phone out of the man’s hands
The spectator in the yellow shirt punches the referee, at which point a player from Baylor Basketball drops her bag and runs over
The game was nearing the end of the first quarter, with Elite leading Baylor 34-12, when a referee called a technical foul on Baylor, reported The Indianapolis Star.
As video from the event shows, Baylor’s coach picked up her bag and headed for the exit, followed by her players.
Things came to a head when a male spectator in a bright-yellow T-shirt made his way onto the court and began videotaping the referee with his phone.
It is not clear from the footage whether the spectator said something to the referee before he forcefully slapped the man’s phone out of his hand.
The spectator reacted by taking a swing at the referee, before a player from Baylor, who was getting ready to leave, dropped her bag, ran up to the ref and attempted to hit him.
The girl tries to hit the referee, but he thwarts her attempt, sending her staggering backward
The spectator and the payer together attack the referee, as another spectator jumps into the fray (pictured in a black sweatshirt and head covering)
The powerfully built man pushed the girl’s arm away, prompting her to stagger backward, but then the spectator punched him.
Another person then jumped into the fracas, as others attempted to separate and pacify the brawlers.
Moments later, the spectator in the yellow shirt lifted the referee clear off the floor, flipped him over and slammed him down.
As the referee was laying on the court, the female Baylor player who earlier attacked him proceeded to punch him.
The first spectator picked the referee off the ground, flips him over and slams him onto the basketball court
The referee lands hard on the floor as people scramble to separate the brawlers
The Baylor player proceeds to punch the referee while he lays on the floor
After the referee is helped up, he is led off the court, while spectators are seen holding back his attacker in yellow
After the referee was helped to his feet, a man led him away, while other people held back the spectator who body-slammed him.
The Westfield Police Department told The Indianapolis Star, which first reported on the story, that the agency was looking into the incident. It is unclear if any charges have been filed in connection with the brawl.
DailyMail.com on Friday reached out to the management of the arena for comment on the referee’s condition and was awaiting a response.
In an earlier statement to The Indianapolis Star, officials at the venue said: ‘we are disappointed that this altercation happened, as we strive to provide a great experience for families.’