Girl sucker-punched during basketball game prompting police report
Lauryn Ham attacked on court during Orange County tournament
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Your support makes all the difference.A California family filed a police complaint after their teenage daughter was sucker-punched during a youth basketball game.
Lauryn Ham, 15, was attacked with a wild punch from an opponent that struck her in the chin and throat and knocked her to the floor.
“Of course I was in total shock. Just couldn’t believe that could happen to my child,” her mother Alice Ham told ABC7.
“You always see things on video and you never think it could happen to you. To actually see it and know that was my kid just hurt me so bad.”
The shocking incident took place during a girls’ basketball tournament in Orange County last weekend.
Ms Ham says her daughter is in concussion protocol, has not been able to attend school since the incident and is resting in the dark.
She claims that the girl was encouraged to hit her daughter by her mother after the pair became entangled.
And as they headed back down the court, the girl, who the news channel says is the daughter of a former NBA player, runs across and punches her.
“I want the daughter and the mom held accountable. Because this type of behaviour is reprehensible and cannot happen in youth sports,” said Ms Ham.
“It can’t happen outside of youth sports. If this was taken out of the context and it happens on the street, it rises to the level of assault and battery.
“This is exactly what it is. The mom incites violence upon my child. And that is never OK. I want the mom to be held accountable for her actions.”
Lawyer Brett Greenfield is representing the family of the teenage girl who threw the punch and issued a statement on their behalf.
“My client and her family are deeply and sincerely remorseful. This is a unfortunate incident involving a very hard-working and promising student athlete,” he said.
“We must keep some perspective and keep in mind that this is a young minor who has made a mistake.
“The comments on social media in response to this incident are a cause of great concern for both the minor and her family.
“We would respectfully request that she be given the benefit of the doubt and that her privacy be respected given her young age.”
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