Spectators say a girls basketball tournament over-the-weekend at the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC) in Smithfield got out of hand.
The SRAC was rented by Carolina Lynx to hold a weekend tournament called “May Day Play Day”. During a game on Saturday, a referee made a call in which a spectator disagreed with call. The spectator reportedly yelled out to the referee calling him an “a**hole.”
The referee stopped the game in an attempt to locate the person who had yelled at him. An individual was identified and asked to leave the facility. While being escorted out of the SRAC, the man allegedly chest bumped the referee twice. Two witnesses came forward and cooberated the referees story to Smithfield Police.
The referee, Woody Chappell, 44, was not injured, however he did obtain a criminal summons against the alleged unruly fan, 46 year-old Edward Renshaw Lavelle of Chapel Hill. Lavelle was served with a criminal summons by Smithfield Police to appear in Johnston County Court on June 12th on a charge of assault on a sports official.
A police report on the incident indicated Chappell was not injured.
A Town of Smithfield spokesperson, Tim Kerigan, released the following statement. “We are aware of the altercation that occurred at SRAC this weekend. It was not a Town of Smithfield event, but a youth basketball tournament administered by another entity. SRAC facilities were rented by an organization that has been a long-standing partner in the past. They have always operated great tournaments and have a solid reputation. While it is fortunate that there were no physical injuries, we certainly do not condone these actions and are appreciative that this is an isolated event and not ordinary.”
WTSB reached out to Carolina Lynx on Monday. So far we have not had any response from the organization. However, their website says they hold basketball programs for young ladies ages 7 to 17, offer development programs, and academic mentors to assist student athletes. They also assist with recruiting potential student athletes to the collegiate level.
