A New York youth basketball coach has been charged with assault after punching a referee in the face during a Pennsylvania tournament, authorities said.
Mount Vernon's Jomo Errol Belfort allegedly punched a referee during a game at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Pennsylvania on Dec. 22 after questioning the referee's call. East Hempfield Township Police Department announced..
Belfort allegedly punched the referee repeatedly, leaving him with a chipped tooth, a black eye and a swollen lip. WHP reported.
Prior to the beatdown, the referee called a foul, but Belfort disagreed. The referee then called a technical foul on Belfort and instructed security to send him off.
The youth coach reportedly broke the basketball out of the referee's hands, headbutted the referee, and then punched him in the face. The courtroom then descended into chaos, with bystanders running toward the fight, WHP reported.
The incident was captured on video and uploaded to TikTok.
Belfour was charged with assault, harassment and disorderly conduct against a sports official, according to EHTPD. The ministry announced that a warrant for his arrest had been issued.
