Deputy sheriff arrested and fired for brawling with the umpire during wild crash-out at his son’s baseball game
A sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana has been fired after getting arrested for brawling with an umpire during a youth baseball tournament.
Lt. Darrell Holley, who worked in Oktibbeha County, was coaching Starkville’s under-14s team when he angrily confronted umpire Jeff Akins at the end of the final game.
Footage of the incident appears to show Holley, 44, angrily confront Akins, 52, near the pitcher’s mound. Akins then appears to shove Holley, who returns with a shove of his own.
Akins then appears to throw the first punch as stunned parents and players watch on in shock from the stands.
Holley’s son, a member of the team who is standing behind Akins as the chaos unfolds, then hits the umpire twice in the back of the head.
As Akins turns around to confront Holley’s son, the sheriff’s deputy lands a punch to the back of the umpire’s head which knocks him to the ground. Holley then lands another blow while Akins is on the floor.
Sheriff’s deputy Darrell Holley has been fired for fighting an umpire at a youth baseball game
Holley angrily confronted umpire Jeff Akins at the end of the final game before chaos broke out
More punches are then thrown as Akins gets back to his feet before both men, stumbling around, fall to the floor while wrestling each other.
Holley’s son then again starts to bombard Akins with punches while he’s on the ground before officials and other coaches jump in to separate the men.
Both Holley and Akins were arrested and charged with fighting not in self defense, according to Brandon Lovelady, public information officer for Starkville Police Department. The charge is a misdemeanor.
Holley was immediately terminated from his role with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
‘Regardless of the circumstances, the OCSO will not tolerate this type of behavior,’ Sheriff Shank Phelps said in a press release.
‘A baseball field is supposed to be a place of fun and family; fighting has no place there.’
Holley was held on a $1,000 bond and has since bonded out while Akins was released on his own recognizance.
The tournament’s director Mike Narmour revealed everyone involved in the fight will be banned from all Grand Slam tournaments moving forward.
Akins appeared to throw the first punch but Holley then knocked the umpire to the ground
While the two men were grappling on the floor, Holley’s son punched Akins in the head
Officials and other coaches then managed to get between them and diffuse the situation
He also stated ‘harsh’ measures will be implemented to prevent future incidents, including a zero-tolerance policy for arguing with umpires.
‘Grand Slam Mississippi is sickened and devastated by these types of events, and there is no place for this whatsoever in youth sports or adult sports,’ he said on Sunday.
‘There’s blame for the umpire, there’s big time blame for the coach and the (involved) kids of that team. There’s no right for that and there’s no place for that in front of those kids.
‘We’re not going to argue with umpires. We’re going to call a director if we have a problem with the umpire.
‘Basically, any fan, coach or player that says anything to an umpire whatsoever is going to be removed from the premises immediately.’
