PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. — Following an incident at a high school football game, Colin W. Byrd, 17, has been charged with misdemeanor assault.
Byrd, a football player for Platte County High School, is accused of striking a Winnetonka football player with the player’s helmet during a game on Oct. 18.
According to the probable cause, the victim, identified only as “J.R.,” suffered a ‘significant concussion,’ as diagnosed by a doctor on Oct. 21. J.R. reported the assault to police on Oct. 22., and as of Nov. 5, J.R. had not yet returned to school. The probable cause stated he suffers from nausea, dizziness, memory loss and other symptoms.
Video of the play was captured on school equipment, but the actual impact of the helmet cannot be seen as two people on the sidelines block the view.
At the time of the incident, an official flagged Byrd and ejected him from the game. The probable cause stated the official saw Byrd grab J.R.’s face mask, yank off his helmet and strike him in the head with it. According to the probable cause, the official said in his 20-plus years officiating he has never seen anything like it.
The probable cause indicated another witness was on the sideline when the Byrd and J.R. ran out of bounds. That witness said he saw Byrd intentionally strike J.R. with J.R.’s own helmet.
When questioned by police, Byrd said he did not intentionally strike J.R. in the head with the helmet. While reviewing video of the play with police, Byrd said he accidentally tore off J.R.’s helmet.
“I’m just trying to break my fall, not fall down, and I ended up jerking his helmet off,” Byrd said. “It just ended up in my hand.”
As for hitting J.R. in the head with it, Byrd said he did not intentionally strike him. Instead, he said he swung it around and dropped it. When it hit J.R., Byrd said he thought it hit him in the shoulder or arm. He added that if he knew it had hit J.R. in the head he would have sought help for him.
If convicted, Byrd could receive probation or face a maximum of one year in the Platte County Jail. A court date for Byrd has yet to be announced.
FOX 4’s Macradee Aegerter will have more on this story on FOX 4 News at 5 and 6. Refresh this page for updates.
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