Savannah mother charged with assaulting middle school coach after son accidentally hit with ball
A Savannah mother has been charged with six disturbing assault counts in connection with an incident in which she allegedly punched her son's middle school basketball coach after her son was accidentally struck in the face with a basketball during a drill in a team practice.
As reported by the Savannah Morning News, Associated Press and other Georgia sources, 31-year-old Nakiea Hampton turned herself in on Friday to face charges of felony battery on a teacher, disorderly conduct, cruelty to children and disrupting public schools after she allegedly stormed into the Savannah (Ga.) Southwest Middle School gym during Tuesday evening's basketball practice and confronted her son's coach in the middle of team drills.
According to the Morning News, Hampton was furious that her son had been accidentally struck in the face with a basketball earlier in the evening practice session. As soon as her son contacted her, Hampton allegedly got in her car, drove to the school and walked into the gym to face off against coach Brad Crow.
First, Hampton allegedly berated the coach with profanity, after which she struck him in the face with her fist, leaving him with cuts on his upper lip and nose.
As soon as that attack was completed, Hampton reportedly walked back to her car and drove away, leaving Crow to be treated at an area hospital for his minor injuries.
Three days after the attack Hampton was arraigned and held on $5,000 bail, though it is not known whether she posted that fee and was released or when a future trial for her charges would be held.
Regardless of when that might occur, the incident Hampton is charged with is one of the most bizarre and troubling in recent months, considering the fact that her son was allegedly only struck by a ball in a pure accident. That happens nearly every day in drills during practices across the country. In fact, it's a wonder that hadn't happened to Hampton's son before Tuesday.
Perhaps it had and he simply hadn't told his mother what happened. Either way, the elder Hampton's severe overreaction has landed her in legal hot water and highlighted a disturbing overreaction to what seems to be as innocuous a youth sports incident as one will ever come by.
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