By Ted Hayes
TIVERTON — Tiverton police are investigating an ugly brawl at a Tiverton/Providence Country Day soccer game Tuesday evening, Oct. 15, during which a Chinese exchange student from PCD was reportedly injured after it appeared he was sucker-punched in the face by a Tiverton player.
Photographs taken by Thomas Brooks, the stepfather of a PCD player, show a Tiverton player running toward a scrum that erupted in the game’s final minutes. Raising his right arm, he rushes toward the pile and lands a solid punch to the left side of the defenseless PCD player’s face.
That player, a junior from China who is in PCD’s exchange program, fell to the ground. He was reportedly brought to the hospital with a possible concussion and did not attend school Wednesday.
Tiverton police sent three or four squad cars to the scene, and a lieutenant who spoke to Mr. Brooks requested and received copies of his photographs. However, an officer at the Tiverton Police Department could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Bob Murray, Tiverton High School’s athletic director, said Wednesday that he was aware of the incident and while he heard that the game was heated, he said there is no excuse for the actions taken by students during the fight.
“There will be school rules that will be enforced and there will be action taken,” he said. “We will make sure that steps are taken and that the students are educated to make sure they know that this behavior is unacceptable.”
He added that he hopes PCD athletics officials take the same action. Marquis Harper, the PCD athletic director, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Tiverton won the game, 3-2.