Police: Parents storm field during children’s game

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — Two youth football teams are serving suspensions after parents tried to fight the young players on the field, according to a police report.

Naketa Parham's son plays for the city of Carrollton's recreational youth football team. At Saturday's game against Carroll County recreational team for 11-12 year olds, Parham said things tued violent when parents from the county team rushed onto the field. She told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri they were upset with some of the play calling.

"These were parents and coaches on the field trying to fight these 11 and 12-year-old boys," she added.

According to a police report, several parents ran onto the field and yelled obscenities. A referee, who did not want to be identified, said at least one person pushed him and yelled profanities.

"The adults told the kids to fight the adult coaches," the ref told Napier Viteri.

Parham said parents were getting involved in the physical altercations between the children on the field.

"One of the parents had the audacity to hold down Marcellious Neal and try to get his helmet off for his child to jump on him," Parham said.

Neal, 12, told Napier Viteri one of the adults threw his teammate to the ground. He said another parent also called him a racial slur.

Police cited one Carrollton coach and two Carroll County coaches with disorderly conduct and obscene language. The county recreational department said their coach, Danny Shane Helton, was at the game as a spectator because he was serving a suspension for a previous incident. They said Helton will be put on probation for one year and not allowed to coach during that time frame.

Both teams are suspended for this week's game. Parham said the county team should have been suspended sooner.

"Now (Carrollton) can't play again because of what has happened before," she said.