Two Parents Arrested After Argument Over Cheering Turns Violent at Texas Youth Softball Game

One Man Hospitalized with Skull Fracture After Argument Escalated to Violence

SugarLandTX.gov

An argument over cheering at a youth softball game in Sugar Land, Texas, escalated into a fight that left one father hospitalized with serious injuries and a grandfather injured, leading to the arrests of two parents, according to police and court documents.

The altercation occurred Saturday, Oct. 24, during a game involving two 12-year-old select softball teams at Imperial Park in the southwestern Houston suburb.

Sugar Land police responded around 7:30 p.m. after receiving reports of an unconscious man at the complex.

Kiarious Hall and his wife, Jazmine Hall, were attending their daughter’s game with Illusions Gold 2033 when the dispute began, according to court documents. Kiarious Hall told police that another man, who was associated with the opposing team, Timbergrove Thunder, confronted him about cheering just before a pitch.

Hall said he continued cheering, and the two began arguing. A second man then joined the confrontation.

According to the affidavit, Hall told officers that one of the men elbowed him and the other poked him in the chest. Hall said he punched the second man in the face, causing him to fall, strike his head on the sidewalk and lose consciousness. He told police he acted in self-defense.

Investigators reviewed a video recorded by a witness that showed the argument just before it escalated into violence.

Softball On SI attempted to reach the coach of the Illusions Gold 2033 team for comment about the incident and if the Hall family was still part of the team and did not receive a response at the time of publication.

What Police Say the Video Showed

According to the officer’s account, the video showed the men arguing before Hall swung his right hand, which was holding a metal water bottle with a handle, and struck one of the men in the face. The man fell to the ground and lost consciousness, investigators said.

The officer noted that the camera angle made it unclear whether the other man had touched Hall during the argument.

The footage then showed Hall swinging the water bottle at the second man before the two began exchanging punches, according to court documents.

Jazmine Hall subsequently joined the fight, throwing punches at a man who was fighting with her husband, the officer wrote. The confrontation moved into nearby bushes before bystanders separated those involved.

Investigators said witnesses appeared to favor people they knew from their respective teams, making the video and physical evidence important in determining how the fight unfolded.

The officer concluded that Jazmine Hall became involved by entering the confrontation and throwing punches to assist her husband, according to the affidavit.

Father and Grandfather Suffer Injuries

The father who was allegedly struck with the water bottle was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital. Steve Shellist, an attorney representing the injured man, told ABC13 in Houston that his client suffered a broken jaw, a fractured skull and three brain bleeds and remained hospitalized.

Gary Greaser, the grandfather of a player at the game, said he intervened after seeing the man struck.

Greaser also suffered injuries during the altercation. His chin required seven stitches, and he sustained extensive scrapes and a broken hip, according to his account.

He said the dispute began with complaints about the timing of Hall’s cheering while the opposing team was batting.

“We’re saying ‘Hey, why are you getting loud?’ It’s kind of bad sportsmanship to do it right as the pitch comes up when our girls are batting, and that’s all it took,” Greaser said.

Arrests and School District Response

Police arrested Kiarious and Jazmine Hall following the confrontation and transported them to the Fort Bend County Jail.

Court documents show Kiarious Hall was charged with assault causing bodily injury. Jazmine Hall was also arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge involving bodily injury, according to the affidavit.

Jazmine Hall was an assistant principal at Lamar Junior High School in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. The district confirmed that she voluntarily reported the incident to its Human Resources Department over the weekend and resigned effective Monday, Oct. 26.

In a statement, Lamar CISD said the incident occurred outside of school and was not associated with a district-sponsored event or activity.

“Lamar CISD holds all employees, particularly those serving in leadership positions, to high standards of professional conduct,” the district said. “We take matters of this nature seriously and remain committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of the students, families, and communities we serve.”

The district declined to comment further, citing the personnel matter.

Shellist said he was in discussions with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and wanted prosecutors to consider upgrading the charges. The criminal case remains under investigation.