When did we become such a society?
Some of the people witnessing this act see nothing wrong with it. Others acknowledge it was wrong. But WTF?
Ind. basketball dad knocks coach unconscious because he forced daughter to run laps | Prep Rally - Yahoo! Sports
An Indiana father is facing serious charges after launching a brutal attack on his daughter's assistant middle school basketball coach for the coach's implementation of an incredibly simple and traditional practice: He made her run laps in the gym.
Michigan City basketball parent Shelley Miller — Michigan City Police
As reported by South Bend-based TV network WSBT, Michigan City, Ind. basketball father Shelly Miller, aged 37, attacked Michigan City (Ind.) St. Stanislas School assistant middle school girls basketball coach Jeffrey Yackus shortly after one of the team's daily practice concluded.
According to WSBT, Yackus had punished Miller's daughter and another player who argued with each other during practice. Yet the only punishment that Yackus meted out was making the two girls run laps in the school's gym.
It appears that pushed the elder Miller over the edge. When he went to pick up his daughter later, she told the elder Miller about her punishment and he immediately attacked Yackus and punched him in the face.
That first punch apparently leveled the assistant coach, knocking him to the ground, where Miller climbed on top of him and repeatedly punched him in the face and head until he was completely unconscious.
In fact, the incident could have been much worse had it not been for swift intervention by the St. Stanislas head coach, Robert Johnson, who pulled the parent from his colleague and helped transport Yackus to the hospital.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Miller was arrested on Class C felony battery charges and was held on $15,000 bond, which he posted shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the school announced that his daughter and the rest of the family were no longer affiliated with the school in any way.
And to think, the entire incident started with a pair of girls basketball players running laps.
Incredibly, those who accompanied Miller to his arraignment defended his actions to a WSBT reporter on site.
"If the coach is ******* with your kid, what are you to do?" Wynter Goodwin told the station. "You can't talk to him."
MICHIGAN CITY —
Michigan City Police said 37-year-old Shelly Miller attacked his daughter's basketball coach. On Thursday he appeared in LaPorte County Superior Court to face charges related to the March 8 attack.
Outside the courtroom, WSBT News asked Miller about his charges. He didn't say a word, but we got an earful from his family members.
One man told WSBT'S John Paul that Miller is a "model citizen" who did nothing wrong.
Paul asked if Miller punched the coach – the man's reply: "If he did...." then stopped. "I don't know.”
The remarks got worse as Miller walked to his car.
"Yeah, he hit a coach. [So what?]" said Wynter Goodwin. Her remarks were followed by several expletives and charges of racism.
Goodwin believes Miller has been disenfranchised. She compared his situation to other incidents in Michigan City. When WSBT'S John Paul asked how Miller's case was a racial issue when he was charged for punching the coach, Goodwin replied,"So what are you saying, he wasn't supposed to?"
On March 8, state police responded to a call at St. Stanislaus school. Miller reportedly confronted one of his daughter's coaches about running laps as a form of punishment for arguing with another player.
Police said Miller punched the coach in the head and face until he lost consciousness.
"If the coach is ******* with your kid, what are you to do?" said Goodwin. "You can't talk to him."
Goodwin said Miller went to the school "five times" to talk to the coach.
On Tuesday, WSBT News spoke with Royce Williams with Michigan City police. He said, "Obviously we all have emotions, we have to approach with a more level head."
Another relative, Ashley Blake, said what Miller did was wrong.
"But, you don't know what led up to that situation," said Blake.