A Georgia high school football game spiraled into chaos when a benches-clearing fight ended with a visiting volunteer coach under arrest for allegedly attacking two teenage players.
Emardre Brown, who had been serving as a volunteer football coach at Atlanta’s Therrell High School, was arrested during the Panthers’ Sept. 11 road game against Temple High School in Carroll County, according to Temple police and Atlanta Public Schools.
Police said trouble erupted early in the game after a facemask penalty sparked a confrontation between players from both teams.
As players and coaches poured onto the field, investigators allege Brown became physically involved instead of helping break up the melee.
According to police, Brown allegedly shoved one Temple player before punching another player in the face through the opening of his football helmet.
The parents of the player who was allegedly punched later took their son to an urgent-care facility for evaluation and pursued criminal charges, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Detectives have also been reviewing cellphone footage captured during the confrontation as they piece together exactly what happened.
Temple Police Detective Cpl. Andrew Mitchell told FOX 5 that adults involved in school sports are expected to separate players and restore order when a fight breaks out — not escalate the confrontation.
See FOX 5 Atlanta’s report and video coverage
Brown was booked on charges that include first-degree cruelty to children, battery and simple assault. He was later released on $2,500 bond, according to local reports.
The cruelty charge is particularly serious. Under Georgia law, a person can be charged with first-degree cruelty to children for allegedly maliciously causing a child under 18 “cruel or excessive” physical or mental pain.
A conviction for that offense carries a potential prison sentence of five to 20 years. Brown has not been convicted, and the charges against him remain allegations.
Atlanta Public Schools quickly distanced itself from Brown following his arrest.
The district confirmed he had been serving as a volunteer coach and said he would no longer coach for APS as a result of the allegations and arrest.
“The safety and security of our students, staff, coaches, and school communities will remain our top priority,” the district said, adding that aggressive or violent conduct by adults interacting with students would not be tolerated.
The Carroll County School System separately said Temple High School and the district were not involved in the law-enforcement action but were cooperating with investigators.
The ugly confrontation came during a lopsided night on the scoreboard. Temple defeated Therrell 41–6, according to the official game results published by MaxPreps.
Video highlights from the Sept. 11 matchup are also listed through the NFHS Network, which carries high school sporting events around the country.
For Brown, however, the fallout now extends far beyond football.
He is no longer coaching for the Atlanta school district while the criminal case moves forward, and investigators have continued examining footage of the confrontation. As of Sept. 19, authorities had not publicly announced a trial date or reported a resolution of the charges.