STARKVILLE – An Oktibbeha County sheriff’s deputy was fired following a Sunday afternoon brawl with an umpire during a Grand Slam baseball tournament at Cornerstone Park.
Lt. Darrell Holley, a coach for Starkville’s 14U Sports Performance Center Select team, and Jeff Akins, an umpire for the tournament, were arrested and charged with fighting not in self defense, according to Brandon Lovelady, public information officer for Starkville Police Department. The charge is a misdemeanor.
Holley was terminated from his role with OCSO on Monday, Sheriff Shank Phelps wrote in a press release.
“Regardless of the circumstances, the (Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office) will not tolerate this type of behavior,” the press release said. “A baseball field is supposed to be a place of fun and family; fighting has no place there.”
Holley, 44, was held on a $1,000 bond and has since bonded out, Lovelady told The Dispatch on Monday. Akins, 52, was released on his own recognizance.
The altercation began at about 2:15 p.m. near the pitcher’s mound following the tournament’s final game, when Holley appeared to elbow Akins, Grand Slam Tournament Director Mike Narmour said.
Narmour sent The Dispatch a video of the altercation, clipped from the opposing team’s livestream and shared widely on social media, which shows team members walking off the field with their backpacks as Akins then pushes Holley’s chest. The coach pushed Akins in return, at which point Akins punched Holley’s head.
Holley’s son, a member of the team, then punched the umpire in the back of the head twice. The child moved back as Akins turned to face him, and Akins took a few steps after the child before Holley punched Akins again, knocking him to the ground.
Holley then leaned over Akins and continued punching him before Akins got back to his feet. Holley hit Akins once more, and the two fell to the ground together. Holley’s son then began repeatedly hitting Akins while the two men were on the ground before a crowd of officials ran in to break up the fight.
Narmour, who was not at the tournament when the altercation broke out, said he is not sure exactly what precipitated it aside from “stupidity all the way around.”
“Grand Slam Mississippi is sickened and devastated by these types of events, and there is no place for this whatsoever in youth sports or adult sports,” he told The Dispatch on Sunday. “… There’s blame for the umpire, there’s big time blame for the coach and the (involved) kids of that team. There’s no right for that and there’s no place for that in front of those kids.”
Narmour said everyone involved in the altercation will be banned from all Grand Slam tournaments, and “harsh” measures will be implemented to prevent future incidents, including a zero-tolerance policy for arguing with umpires.
“We’re not going to argue with umpires,” he told The Dispatch on Monday. “We’re going to call a director if we have a problem with the umpire. … Basically, any fan, coach or player that says anything to an umpire whatsoever is going to be removed from the premises immediately.”
Narmour plans to meet with his team this week to outline specific measures for future tournaments.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said the violence displayed at the city-owned park was “deeply regrettable.”
“To say the least, I’m very disappointed in the behavior of all parties,” Spruill told The Dispatch on Monday. “… I think it’s one of those things that upon reflection, we certainly would hope that those who are working with children, those who are working out at our park, would rethink how they engage with one another. This is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be an altercation opportunity between coaches and parents, and so that behavior was well outside the bounds of what we expect from our adult community.”
Josh Cannon, a manager for Sports Performance Center, the sponsor for Holley’s 14U team, declined to comment on the altercation.
Lovelady said the investigation is ongoing.
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