Teen girl reveals why she stormed field and tackled middle school football player, 13, in shocking incident that led to assault charges
A Tennessee teenager who stormed a football field before tackling a middle school player has claimed she was only trying to protect her little brother.
The 16-year-old, now identified as Addison Hunnicutt, is facing criminal charges after the shocking incident, which occurred Tuesday night during South Middle School’s clash with Cornersville Middle School at Franklin County High School in Winchester.
Tensions boiled over after South scored a touchdown and extra point, with a brief scuffle between players breaking out.
Wild footage then showed the girl sprinting on to the field and charging toward a 13-year-old South player. She knocked him to the turf with a hard tackle before shoving him back to the floor as he attempted to get up.
Hunnicutt has now said that she rushed the field after growing tired of watching her brother face rough tactics from rivals.
The 16-year-old claimed she saw a South player grab her brother’s face mask and spin him around. He later took a shot to the ribs.
A 16-year-old girl in Tennessee is facing criminal charges after storming onto the field and tackling a middle school football player during a game on Tuesday night
Addison Hunnicutt has claimed she was only trying to protect her little brother
‘That’s when I started to be like, no, I’m done watching this,’ she told NewsChannel 5. ‘I wasn’t going after this kid just to go after him.’
Hunnicutt added: ‘That wasn’t my intention at all. Seeing what they were doing to him and no one stopping it, that kind of made me the last choice. Somebody has to stop this.’
The incident left Hunnicutt’s mother with mixed feelings.
Elizabeth Chumbley admitted that she could not condone her daughter rushing the field but she echoed claims that her son was being unfairly targeted.
‘I made sure she understood quickly that her behavior, that was inappropriate, and you should not have jumped over the fence,’ Chumbley told the WTVF.
‘[But] I’m seeing my son on the ground being attacked. This wasn’t just a football play. This is him on the ground being physically attacked by this other player.’
According to reports, The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has charged the 16-year-old with assault and disorderly conduct.
Video footage showed the teenage girl suddenly sprinting onto the field and charging toward a South player involved in the altercations
She was also served with a lifetime trespass ban from all Franklin County Schools properties, while the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association barred her from attending any Cornersville Middle School athletic events.
Meanwhile, a man claiming to be father of the boy tackled by Hunnicutt has praised his son for being a ‘true gentleman.’
Brandon Taylor wrote on Facebook: ‘He had every reason to be angry, yet he still showed restraint.’
Taylor continued: ‘He did not deserve to be tackled, pushed, or humiliated on the field. He is a 13-year-old child, and I will always stand up for him and protect him.’
