Youth football coach caught hitting child twice on video to face abuse charges
A Georgia youth football coach will be charged with child abuse for hitting one of his players in the head twice Monday, knocking him to the ground the second time.
Gerrel Williams was identified as the coach in a video that has been viewed more than 4 million times on Twitter and caught the attention of LeBron James and Shannon Sharpe, among many others.
In the video, Williams can be seen striking the child in the head as he comes off the field. After milling around for a few seconds, Williams walks back over to the child and hits him again, this time hard enough to knock him to the ground.
Williams’ team from Savannah, Ga., was in the south Orlando suburb of Kissimmee, Fla., for the American Youth Football national championships, Savannah ABC affiliate WJCL reported. Williams was coaching a team of kids age 7 and under.
As the video spread, Williams was expelled from the league and prohibited from attending future games, according to an incident report from the county sheriff’s office in Florida. He also lost his job in Savannah.
Williams responded to the outrage in Facebook video, which has since been deleted, WJCL reported.
“I was wrong,” Williams said, according to WJCL. “There is no excuse for my actions. He forgives me and his parents have forgiven me, so nobody else should be bashing me.”
Plenty of horrified viewers continued to bash Williams, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Sharpe, who went to college at Savannah State.
“IF that’s my child. I’ve got to have him, I’m going to carry his punk a--,” Sharpe wrote in an Instagram post. “Even IF that’s his kid, I’ll whip him. I won’t let anyone prey on the weak or vulnerable in front of me. Not going to happen.”
James also criticized Williams in a temporary Instagram post, Newsweek reported.
The child’s mother did not wish to press charges against Williams, according to the initial report from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
But the cops are charging Williams with child abuse anyway, ESPN reported. They called Williams’ actions “despicable” and brought the case despite the parent’s decision.
