Brandon Knapper, a former Division I college basketball player turned high school referee, finds himself in some serious trouble after an incident during a game between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California.
In a video obtained by TMZ Sports, Knapper can be seen in a verbal altercation with Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander over his officiating.
During the argument, Knapper pulled back and clocked Alexander right in the head, dropping him to the hardwood. The punch sparked a brawl with additional punches being thrown before order was restored.
“The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement,” Oak Hills’ Hesperia Unified School District said in a statement. “We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible.
“We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately.”
As a result of the incident, Alexander was taken to the hospital and pursued charges against Knapper, who eventually turned himself in.
The 26-year-old Knapper, who played collegiately at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Cal State San Bernardino, was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury which are both felonies.
Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department jail on Sunday before his release on Wednesday on $25,000 bond.
