Devils coach charged with assault in Windsor

WINDSOR – There are times when emotions overrule logic and the “younger brother of war” will erupt into something more like the real thing.

That is what happened in Windsor, Ont., last Wednesday night following Game 3 of their Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) Jr. B series, which the Devils lost 11-8. The disappointment was too much for some parents, fans and even coaches to bear, resulting in a near riot outside the dressing room area after the game.

The incident began at the end of the game when the Clippers’ head coach Jerry Kavanaugh was given an unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct penalty.

That escalated to a slashing match-misconduct against Devils’ Jeff Williams, a gross misconduct against Wallaceburg coach Justin Durston and a game misconduct against Jamie Knight, all at the 20:00 mark.

Windsor Clippers General Manager Mike Soulliere said following the incident, “It’s a black eye for the game and it’s a black eye for both teams and not what we intended to happen.”

Windsor police are still investigating the incident, but they have reported that the individual with the stick, said to be a Wallaceberg coach, was charged without incident and faces an assault with a weapon charge, among other possible offenses as a result of the incident.

“I got a ton of respect for the (Wallaceburg) team,” said Kavanaugh after the incident, “but I have zero respect for their coaching staff.”

A video taken by a fan watching the whole thing unfold is going around the internet and made it to CTV news. It shows a verbal clash between coaches, fans and some players following the Wallaceburg Red Devils 11-8 loss. A man, later identified as the Devils Head Coach Jordan Durston, is seen running towards the melee with a goalie stick and struck the 18-year-old brother of one of Windsor’s players. He received minor injuries from the attack and is expected to press charges.

According to the Windsor Police report, “the 18-year-old male victim was located and confirmed to have minor injuries. A 30-year old adult male was identified and arrested at the arena without incident. He faces one count of assault with a weapon.”

He was released on a Promise to Appear with a future court date of August 1st, 2017.

Wallaceburg lost the next game in Wallaceburg and were eliminated 16-12, with no further incident.

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