Angry parent follows basketball referee into locker room and beats him, Iowa cops say

An Iowa parent is accused of threatening officials at a middle school basketball game and assaulting a referee in a locker room, according to police.

The referee attack happened at about 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 at Edward Stone Middle School in Burlington, the police department said in a Dec. 17 news release.

Burlington, a town with a population of around 24,000 people, is a roughly 170-mile drive southeast from Des Moines.

Witnesses say the parent became upset with referees over a call made toward the end of the game and approached them, hurling threats, KWQC reported.

According to police, the man told the refs that he would “kill” them and also “find their families,” KGAN reported.

One of the referees went into a locker room to get his phone, but the man followed him in and beat him, punching him in the face, police told the outlet.

The man left the scene before police arrived, but investigators were able to identify him and obtain a warrant for his arrest, the department said. However, he turned himself in to police on Dec. 17 and was booked into the Des Moines County Jail.

Court records show he is facing charges of assault with intent to inflict serious injury and two counts of harassment.

The referee suffered minor injuries to his face, police said.

No attorney information was available for the man.

This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Angry parent follows basketball referee into locker room and beats him, Iowa cops say."