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Mom attacks coach during 8-and-under softball game handshake: Police report
Meredith Haskew Grant was taken into custody by the Dalton Police Department
Coaches and players at a Georgia youth softball match were exchanging handshakes when one coach unexpectedly grabbed another by the hair and struck her face, according to officials.
Meredith Haskew Grant was taken into custody by the Dalton Police Department on Saturday, facing misdemeanor battery charges, as reported by the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office to Law&Crime.
She was admitted to Whitfield County Jail and later released on bail that same day.
Families had congregated at Heritage Point Regional Park in Dalton, Georgia, on Saturday, as the local Fox affiliate WTVC recounted.
The GA Fury Platinum Harris clashed against the Wreckers Fastpitch in a softball game for players aged 8 and under.
As the game concluded, coaches and players were exchanging handshakes at the pitcher's mound, a usual gesture of goodwill after sports events. Suddenly, tensions erupted into a fight.
Footage of the altercation, aired by Chattanooga, Tennessee-based NBC affiliate WRCB, displays a woman identified as Grant seizing another person by the hair, pulling them toward her onto the ground, and seemingly throwing several punches. A number of adults intervened to separate the individuals involved.
Dalton police arrived at the location, where Grant informed officers that unsportsmanlike comments were made about her daughter by the opposing team, as detailed in an arrest document. She further claimed that one coach confronted her aggressively.
However, investigators did not seem convinced by her account, reportedly indicating that the footage portrayed her as the instigator.
The other coach — alleged to be the victim — communicated to WRCB, "I'll let the video speak for itself regarding her character. Ultimately, my coaching team and I know the facts. The video reveals everything."
The defendant has reportedly been prohibited from all upcoming similar events.
Dalton, Georgia, is situated in the northwest part of the state, approximately 30 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
