PLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri high school football player is charged with assault for allegedly ripping off another player’s helmet and hitting him in the head with it during a game, causing a concussion.
Platte County prosecutor Eric Zahnd says 17-year-old Colin W. Byrd, of Platte County High School, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor assault for the Oct. 18 incident during a game against Winnetonka High School.
Byrd’s lawyers didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment. But in court documents, Byrd denied intentionally striking the victim.
In the probable cause statement, a game official said Byrd and the other player were headed out of bounds when they fell. The official said Byrd twisted the player’s helmet off and struck him in the head with it.
Zahnd says the victim still suffers from concussion symptoms.
