Parents of the Florida high school runner who was sucker-punched mid-race as he competed in the 1,600m event are now considering legal action. The incident occurred at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida on March 26. The shocking video that went viral shows an athlete running up behind the runner and punching him in the back of the head while onlookers sounded extremely upset. The race continued, however, as other kids ran around the one who was struck.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office initially claimed that neither the victim nor the other athlete intended to seek charges in the event. However, it appears that there is a disagreement about what was actually spoken. The victim’s family is now “exploring civil remedies against those responsible,” according to Nathan Carter, the family’s attorney.
The family’s attorney also claimed that deputies had threatened to arrest their son if they pressed charges against his attacker. “The family has read reports that the OCSD claims [my client] refused to press charges,” the attorney said in a statement. “This is false.”
The altercation allegedly began when the victim, who was in first position in the 1,600-meter race, instructed a non-participating athlete to move out of the way at a high school event in the Orlando region. “Things escalated on the next lap when the other athlete further impeded the race, prompting a shove from the runner. The other athlete retaliated by chasing him down and delivering a sucker punch to the back of his head,” the New York Post stated. Despite the track attack, the race resumed in front of astonished spectators.
The victim’s attorney has criticised the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for its handling of the case. “The family of the victim did want to press charges for this vicious attack and assault caught on video and witnessed by hundreds of people. The OCSD deputy told the family that if [my client] pressed charges then he would also be arrested for battery. Only because of this threat did the family choose not to press charges.”
The attorney mentioned that his client had a concussion and suggested that he would sue event officials for failing to prevent the attack in various ways, which sounds like a claim for negligence. “If this event hired proper officials to help run this track meet, they could have prevented this,” Carter remarked.
“They could have prevented the CC athlete from standing on the track during the first turn. Or they could have moved the CC athlete after the first lap incident. Or they could have moved the CC athlete before the second lap incident. Or they could have stopped the CC athlete before he chased [my client] down and sucker-punched him… They had many opportunities to prevent this and failed to do so,” the attorney said.
The Florida High School Athletic Association and Orange County Public Schools administration are apparently looking into the issue to see what kind of disciplinary action, if any, may even be taken.
“No public comments have been released from the other athlete’s family about the incident,” the Bleacher Report said on Saturday, April 2. It remains to be seen whether any legal action will be taken in this case.
Story by meaww.com
