COLUMBIA, CT (WFSB) – A girls basketball coach was arrested for a number of charges after state police said he drove into a victim.

State police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Bryan Baez-Rivera of Willimantic.

The incident happened on Saturday around 11:20 a.m. at the Horace Porter School in Columbia.

“Upon arrival, troopers were being flagged down by multiple people in the parking lot,” state police said. “Troopers spoke with the victim, who reported that there was a girl’s youth basketball game which took place at the school earlier in the morning. The victim reported that they were involved in a verbal altercation with the visiting team’s coach.”

State police said the victim reported that they attempted to approach the coach’s vehicle in the parking lot, at which point the coach intentionally ran into them and caused them to go over the roof and hood of the vehicle before falling onto the ground.

“Troopers observed visible injuries to the victim, who was later transported to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries,” state police said.

While troopers were on scene with the victim, dispatchers told them that the other party involved had called and reported their location.

“They reported to [state police] that they had stopped at an area business and would wait there for a trooper,” state police said.

They identified the other party as Baez-Rivera.

Baez-Rivera told them that he was coaching a girl’s youth basketball game and became involved in a verbal altercation with an individual after the game.

Baez-Rivera said that as he was leaving the parking lot, the individual chased him on foot.

“Baez-Rivera reported that this individual walked in front of his path of travel and that he was not able to avoid a collision,” state police said. “Baez-Rivera reported that multiple people then began to chase after his vehicle, and he left the property out of concern for his own safety as well as his passengers, which included minor children.”

With the assistance of facilities management, troopers accessed exterior surveillance footage from the time of the incident.

The surveillance showed that the victim did in fact approach Baez-Rivera’s path of travel; however, state police said Baez-Rivera appeared to make no attempt to avoid striking the victim.

Baez-Rivera was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor, second-degree breach of peace, and second-degree reckless endangerment.

He was later released on a $5,000 bond and scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Jan. 23.

The Department of Children and Families was advised of the incident and the case remains under investigation.

Copyright 2025 WFSB. All rights reserved.