An eighth-grade girls basketball coach has been arrested for allegedly assaulting another coach near the end of a game Monday night, the second time in two weeks that police have been called to games involving teams from the private youth league JAM Basketball Inc.
Eric Law, 43, coach of the Triple Threat team, is accused of running across the court at Ranum High School on Monday, confronting coach Chris Robson of the Ralston Valley Mustangs and kneeing him in the chest. Law was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and will appear in court June 9.
The game clock had 30 seconds left when Law ran across the court, according to the sheriff’s report. Referee Rick Jandogian ejected Law, then ended the game. Law began challenging Jandogian, according to the sheriff’s report, and bumped chests with him several times before a teacher stepped in between them.
Mark Sharpley, president of Junior Athletics of the Midwest Inc., said Law was dismissed from the league.
Sharpley said Jam Basketball has about 500 teams, which play in the spring and fall in various school gymnasiums.
“You can’t have physical contact in youth sports,” said Sharpley, who teaches physical-education classes and coaches basketball at the Jefferson Academy. “This league is about developing players and playing basketball with high values, which wasn’t the case in this situation.”
Police were called to another JAM game on April 29, when members of the street gang Bloods Storming 80s reportedly started a brawl at the end of a basketball game at Eaglecrest High School in Centennial. Five people were injured, police said.
Sharpley said Team Aurora, whose members had ties to the street gang, has been dismissed from the league.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Sharpley said.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
