13-year-old basketball player stomps on opponent's head during Bay Area game
ALAMEDA. Calif. -- There is a police investigation over what is seen on video in this story. One 13-year-old basketball player stomping on an opposing player's head.
"He was down on the floor and this kid just came and just stomped on him and on his head."
Eva and Roderick Guingab's son was playing on the Tumakbo United team, which is a Filipino-American youth team based in the Bay Area, with players from all across the U.S.
The game took place Sunday at the College of Alameda versus Payton's Place, another Bay Area team. There was a scuffle to get possession of the ball, then another player reacts.
"You could clearly see the size of his shoe on his face. My son suffered a concussion for the first time he played basketball," said Eva Guingab.
The Guingabs says their son is now in concussion protocol and still dealing with headaches. The family of the other boy who did the stomping, says that he was standing up for his teammate who he believed had just been kicked and punched in this melee.
Family members tell me the player for Payton's Place is now being cyberbullied by adults online.
They also say he immediately left the gym after this because he was told to leave by an organizer.
The Payton's Place team says the boy is "seeking help to control his emotions and he is not playing with the program at this time." They also say they are saddened by what happened adding, "The behavior that was exhibited by our player is not acceptable, and is being taken seriously."
Police say this is an ongoing investigation after the Guingabs filed a report.
"I think everyone was just in shock - I think we all kind of went on the court and went to the coach of the other team to say, 'What just happened what's going on?'" said Michael Tolentino who coaches Tumakbo United.
"If we don't say anything right now, this kid will think it's OK to do it because he's young. He thinks that walking away from this situation is OK, and it's not OK," said Guingab.
There are also questions about possible attacks that happened after the stomp, involving parents and officials but nothing could be seen on video and police haven't detailed those to us.
Coaches tell us these players have played against each other several times over the years, saying that race was not a factor here in anything that happened. Once Alameda police wrap this investigation, it will be up to the Alameda County District Attorney to decide if any action should be taken.
