Girls basketball coach from Hartford won't be charged for allegedly punching player
HARTFORD- TODAY'S TMJ4 is reporting that a girls basketball coach from Hartford won't be charged for allegedly punching one of his own players in Indiana.
47-year-old Fred Freeman was arrested for allegedly hitting one of his own players, on the Wisconsin StealerZ Elite 16 team, and slamming her to the ground after a game in Indiana. That player was a 17-year-old girl.
According to prosecutors in Indiana, "no charges will be filed after reviewing all the witness statements."
Authorities told TODAY'S TMJ4 the coach and player got heated after the team lost a game. The coach's daughter and the other players watched it all.
"We have an issue where we have a male coach that physically attacked a young female player," said a 9-1-1 caller
The 17-year-old female player did not need medical treatment but she was injured.
"... she's got scrapes on her elbows and she's got some bruises on her arms," according to the 9-1-1 caller.
Police caught up with Freeman at a local restaurant where he had taken the team after the alleged fight. The injured player was not with them.
"He claimed that he was the victim and that the player attacked him," said officer Tom Weger with the Fishers, Indiana Police Department.
But police say a witness told a different story.
"During the verbal altercation the coach grabbed her punched her in the face, threw her on the ground and then jumped on top of her," said Weger.
Freeman's daughter Ashley also plays on the team, she tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "He never once punched her," said Ashley. "She was literally going crazy, screaming and punching. It's such a shame that one girl's lies can ruin a team (and) a coach's reputation."















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