MASSILLON, Ohio — High school football players from the Cardinal Ritter Lions were maced by police after a game against the Massillon Tigers in Massillon, Ohio, our news partners at WOIO-TV said.
The incident occurred last Friday when the Cardinal Ritter Lions, who traveled from St. Louis, faced off against the Massillon Tigers.
Following the game, police used mace to de-escalate a situation involving pushing and shoving, according to a police statement.
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Ashley Ashburn, whose son DJ was among those maced, expressed her shock and desire for answers. “He called me screaming like ‘mom, they just maced me’ and I was like ‘what, what is going on?!’” she recounted.
Video released by Massillon Police shows the chaos that ensued after the game. DJ, a player for the Cardinal Ritter Lions, described the effects of the mace, saying it made him drop to his knees, with burning eyes and difficulty breathing, according to WOIO-TV.
Massillon Police stated that their officers’ actions were in line with department policies and procedures for use-of-force. They claimed that Ritter players charged towards Massillon players who were near their marching band.
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