Fort Payne man facing charges of assaulting sports officials following youth baseball game

PISGAH, Ala. (WAFF) - An altercation in a baseball field parking lot landed a Fort Payne man in custody on Thursday evening.

According to Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies were called to a baseball field in Pisgah on May 19 in response to verbal arguments between parents and officials during a youth baseball game. Chief Harnen said the arguments appeared to be over by the time deputies arrived at the field.

As one of the deputies was leaving the scene, he witnessed a person in a physical altercation with a group in another part of the parking lot. The group allegedly being assaulted included two umpires from the youth baseball game.

Jonathan Henderson, age 43 of Fort Payne, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of second-degree assault on a sports official.

Deputies said the altercation resulted in minor injuries but no emergency services were required at the field.

Henderson was released late Thursday evening on a $5,000 bond.

Editor’s note: This story originally referred to the youth baseball game as a little league game. The baseball league has no affiliation with Little League International.