A 48-year-old New Baltimore father was arrested after allegedly threatening a high school football coach for not putting the man's son into a game in Warren.
The man walked onto the field and confronted Anchor Bay High School varsity coach Vic Balaj with less than a minute in the game Friday night at Warren-Mott High School, located on 12 Mile Road in Warren, according to a report in
The Macomb Daily. A witness heard the father tell Balaj that he would "kick your (expletive)" if the coach didn't get his son into the game, according to the report.
The man's other son, age 21, intervened to stop his father's arrest, according to the report.
Warren-Mott Principal Brad Martin, security volunteers and the school's athletic director helped escort the father and son away from the field until police arrived.
"I've never seen anyone go over a fence and on a field of play and go after the coach," said Martin in the paper's report.
Martin said the father was "extremely belligerent. He called me everything you can imagine, and then some."
"He was being guided by his son (who) wanted to handle it by himself, probably embarrassed," said Martin.
The father and his 21-year-old son were arrested. Police said they used profanities at officers before they were handcuffed.
The father also yelled at officers and acted "out of control" at the Warren Police Department until one officer used pepper spray to subdue him, according to police in the paper's report.
A preliminary breath test showed the father had a blood-alcohol content of .118 percent, which is above the .08 percent standard of intoxication in Michigan, the paper reported.
The accused father told police that his son had been a bench warmer for four years and wanted to videotape when his son finally made it into a game, the paper reported.
Paul Bemis, another coach for the Anchor Bay Tars, said there were many other players who also did not participate in the game against Warren-Mott, according to police reports.
The father and son were released on $200 bonds. Their names were not released pending charges.
Police continue to investigate.
Balaj did not return phone calls to
The Macomb Daily seeking comment.
Anchor Bay defeated Warren-Mott, 36-21, Friday, the paper reported.
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