Police in Alameda, California, are investigating an incident at a youth basketball game where a 13-year-old player stomped on the head of an opposing player.
The incident was captured on video between youth teams Payton’s Place and Tumakbo United, a team made up of Filipino-American children.
One of the Tumakbo United players, identified as ABC 7 San Francisco As the son of Eva and Roderick Guingab, he was a victim during a loose ball situation.
“He was on the ground and this kid came up and stomped on him and it landed on his head,” Evan Guingab said.
“You could clearly see the size of the shoe on his face. My son suffered a concussion the first time he played basketball.”
This image shows the moment a youth basketball player stomped on his opponent’s head.
This image shows the shoe print on the side of the victim’s head in the incident.
The parents say their son is currently in the concussion protocol and continues to deal with headaches stemming from this incident.
Meanwhile, the family of the boy who stomped on him claims he was defending his teammate. He believes his teammate was kicked and punched in the loose ball situation.
The boy who stomped on his opponent is now also being cyberbullied by adults online, his parents say.
Parents also say a game organizer told their son to leave the gym immediately after the incident.
Payton’s Place says the boy is “seeking help to manage his emotions and is not playing along with the program at this time,” according to ABC 7. They added: “The behavior our player exhibited is not acceptable and is being taken seriously.”
Coaches on both sides told ABC 7 they have faced each other several times over the past few years and both believe race was not a factor.
Police say this is an ongoing investigation after the Guingabs filed a report. When Alameda police conclude their investigation, it will be forwarded to the Alameda County District Attorney to determine if any action should be taken.
“If we don’t say anything now, this kid will think it’s okay to do it because he’s young. He thinks walking away from this situation is okay, but it’s not,” Guingab said.