On April 18th, during a baseball game between Liberty High School and Victory Charter School in Kissimmee, Florida, a video surfaced of 41-year-old Jorge Ignacio Aponte-Gonzalez attacking the umpire due to a dispute over how the official was communicating with his son.
According to Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, the altercation began when the umpire attempted to maintain control of the game by speaking to the son. Aponte-Gonzalez then walked on to the field and punched the umpire, who was looking the other way, with enough force to knock him unconscious.
Aponte-Gonzalez fled the scene and was identified through the video. When asked why he attacked the umpire, he reportedly said that he was “defending his kid.” Sheriff Lopez expressed his disapproval of this incident and revealed that he had met the umpire prior. He described him as a 63-year-old disabled veteran and expressed his passion for baseball and his dedication to giving back to his community.
Aponte-Gonzalez is facing charges of battery on a sports official and disruption of a school function and was booked into the Osceola County jail with a $1,500 bond.