CAUGHT ON CAM: Teen sucker punched during basketball game
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KCAL) – A girl has lingering health issues after another teen was caught on camera punching her during a basketball game.
The victim’s mother said the other girl’s mother encouraged the violence.
There is a video that shows the moment 15-year-old Lauryn Ham is hit by another player during a youth club basketball tournament Sunday in Garden Grove, California.
“When I saw the clip, I was horrified just like everybody else and so angry,” said Alice Ham, Lauryn’s mother.
It’s hard to make out in the video, but people who were at the game told Alic Ham seconds before this happened, the other player’s mom told her to hit Lauryn.
The attack left Lauryn with a bruised neck and concussion.
“It’s on the video. You can hear it plain and simple. The ref that was there, also heard it and is willing, you know, to give a statement,” Alice Ham said. “The mom basically incited violence against my daughter. She told her daughter to go and hit her. To me, that rises to the level of assault.”
The Garden Grove Police Department confirms Ham has filed a police report.
The other player, whose name was not released, and her mom were ejected from the tournament.
Parents and coaches said she’s the daughter of a former NBA player and had already been getting attention from college scouts.
Ham says neither the player nor her mom have apologized for what happened.
Meanwhile, she’s just hoping her daughter, who is aiming to play in college, will even want to play basketball again.
“I’m just praying that, you know, she’ll get back out on the court and do what she loves,” Ham said.
It’s unclear if the girl who threw the punch will remain on the team or if police will file charges.
Copyright 2021 KCAL via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.