Dad puts teen in headlock at kickball game, faces child abuse charges, Utah cops say
.jpg "A man is facing child abuse charges after placing a teen in a headlock during a kickball game in Utah, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)")
A man is facing child abuse charges after placing a teen in a headlock during a kickball game in Utah, officials said.
The parent, a 34-year-old man, grabbed a 13-year-old who was running to third base and placed him in a headlock, choked him and knocked him to the ground at Garland City Park in Garland, the Tremonton-Garland Police Department said in a news release. The two continued to struggle after falling to the ground “until they were separated.”
The boy’s father, David Richards, said the man could have seriously hurt his son, according to KUTV.
“This is a 30, 40 year old man on a 13-year-old kid, it’s unacceptable. Being an adult, you need to have a level of restraint,” Richards told the outlet.
The man told police he was regretful about his actions and that “he was trying to protect his child who was playing the catcher position from being ran over by the 13-year-old,” police said.
The man left the park before police arrived, police said, but he was later arrested at his home and is facing a child abuse charge.
Garland is about 75 miles north of Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published July 8, 2022 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Dad puts teen in headlock at kickball game, faces child abuse charges, Utah cops say."
