Portland, Ore. — A prosecutor is being criticized for pursuing an assault case against a 17-year-old high school basketball player who head-butted an opponent during a game.
Ultimately, no charges were filed after the boy's family agreed that he would not play in Friday night's game against the same team, which includes the prosecutor's son.
"This whole thing is bizarre," said Bob Taylor, the father of the suspended player, Zachary Taylor. "He's pretty shook up. To have the DA from another county come after him, it's a pretty big deal."
Ed Caleb, the Klamath County District Attorney, said it was appropriate for him to get involved, considering several other recent episodes of violence at sporting events around the country.
"There has to be a line sometimes," Caleb said. "Is anything OK on the sporting field? I don't think so."
The district attorney notified Taylor's family that he was being cited for misdemeanor assault. The prosecutor said he showed a videotape of the play to several law officers and they agreed a crime had been committed.
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