by A disturbing video has captured the moment a 13-year-old California basketball player stomped on a defenseless player’s head, prompting police to launch an investigation into the ruthless attack.
The captured assault occurred during a game between two Bay Area teams, Tumakbo United — a Filipino-American youth basketball team — and Payton’s Place at the College of Alameda on Sunday, ABC7 reported.
The victim, who plays for Tumakbo, grabbed a teammate’s basketball but was heavily defended by his opponent.
He falls to the ground and loses possession, prompting both players to struggle and pull each other for a chance to recover the ball.
But as the two players scuffle on the ground, a second Payton’s Place player runs up and violently slams the opposing player’s head into the floor.
The kick triggered an immediate response from the referee, who blew his whistle and led the brute off the pitch while other players and coaches surrounded him.
“He was on the ground and a child came and stepped on him and his head,” the victim’s mother, Eva Guingab, told ABC 7.
“You could clearly see the size of his shoes on his face. My son suffered a concussion the first time he played basketball.”
A photo taken after the game shows the side of his son’s head reddened with a visible shoe mark running from his neck to the top of his head.
The mother said her son was in concussion protocol and suffering from headaches.
“I think everyone was in shock,” Tumakbo United coach Michael Tolentino told the outlet.
“I think we all went out on the field and asked the other team’s coach, ‘What happened? What’s going on?'”
However, the family of the Payton’s Place player who committed the attack said the boy was defending his teammate who he said was kicked and punched during the fight.
The family also revealed that since the video went viral online, the boy has been the victim of cyberbullying by adults.
The unidentified Payton’s Place player was ejected from the gym after the assault.
“Images of our team playing this past weekend are circulating. Unfortunately, these images do not positively represent our team and our values,” Peyton’s Place said on Instagram.
“Our player’s behavior is not acceptable and is taken seriously. We do not tolerate violence. Our players must behave with integrity on and off the field. At this time, both teams are working together to resolve this issue.”
Race was not a factor in the incident, coaches from both teams told local news outlets.
The Guingabs have since filed a complaint with the Alameda Police Department, and an investigation into the trampling is underway, according to the outlet.
The Alameda County District Attorney will decide whether to file charges after the police investigation.
“If we don’t say anything now, this kid will think it’s normal to do it because he’s young,” Guingab said. “He thinks leaving this situation is normal, but it’s not normal.”
On Tuesday, Peyton’s Place said it had removed the player from its roster and that his behavior was “unexpected.”
“The player involved no longer plays for Payton’s Place,” the team said. “His behavior was unexpected. We are working to help him find resources to prevent this from happening in the future. Violence has never been a part of our team. On behalf of the Payton’s Place family, we extend our deepest apologies to the player injured in this incident, his family, and everyone affected.”
