New York youth basketball coach slugs referee in the face after disagreeing with call

Posted by author January 1, 2025 Basketball

Spread the love

A New York youth basketball coach was charged with assault for slugging a referee in the face during a tournament in Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Jomo Errol Belfor, of Mount Vernon, allegedly punched the referee over a call he took issue with during a Dec. 22 game at the Spooky Nook Sports complex in Pennsylvania, the East Hempfield Township Police Department said.

A Mount Vernon man was charged with assault after punching a referee in the face during a basketball tournament.

Belfor allegedly struck the referee repeatedly, leaving him with a chipped tooth, black-and-blue eye, and a swollen lip, WHP reported.

Leading up to the beatdown, the referee had called a foul that Belfor disagreed with. The ref then called a technical foul on Belfor and told security to remove him.

A police car parked in front of a building — Belfor allegedly hit the referee repeatedly, including headbutting him. East Hempfield Police Dept

The youth coach allegedly snapped and ripped a basketball from the referee’s hands, headbutting the referee before following it up with a sucker punch to the face. The court descended into chaos from there as onlookers ran towards the fight, as reported by WHP.

The fracas was caught on video and uploaded to TikTok.

Belfor was charged with assault on a sports official, harassment and disorderly conduct, according to the EHTPD. The department said a warrant was issued for his arrest.