Referee Files Assault Charges Against Parents In Howell Hockey Incident: Report

HOWELL, NJ -- A high school ice hockey referee has filed charges against two parents he says attacked him after a hockey game last Sunday, according to a report.

The Asbury Park Press reported that David Brown, 45, of Wall, one of the referees at the game between Howell High School and Manalapan High School at Howell Ice World, filed the charges Tuesday, according to his attorney, Richard P. Lomurro.

The announcement of the filing came in the wake of a statement from Howell Township Police that the department’s officers would not be filing criminal charges.

“It is important to note that in this specific case the offense committed is titled a ’simple assault’ under New Jersey law,” the Howell police statement said. “A simple assault in New Jersey is classified as a “disorderly persons offense,” therefore, it does not rise to a level of severity in which a police officer can make an arrest without having actually witnessed the offense take place.”

Lomurro said Brown filed a civilian complaint in municipal court against two men on Tuesday for assault, the Press report said. Lomurro also told the Press that Brown did seek medical attention for injuries he suffered as a result of the attack, but did not specify what those injuries were.

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(Hockey, by Tyler, via Flickr under Creative Commons license)