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February 10th, 2004
12:17 pm - Jeez
Deer Lakes School District Superintendent Mark King said it sounded like a melon hitting the floor when a Hampton parent came out of the stands at a Friday basketball game and body slammed a referee, causing him to hit his back and head on the hardwood.
Peter Dukovich, 47, of Elgro Road, Hampton, was charged with simple assault and assault on a sports official. Dukovich is accused of attacking referee Ronald Bell, 57, of Scottdale during a Deer Lakes/Hampton boys varsity basketball game at Deer Lakes High School.
Dukovich's wife, Raelynn Dukovich, 43, was charged with disorderly conduct for her alleged involvement in the incident.
The game was played at 4 p.m. and was only open to parents and grandparents because a fight erupted between fans after a basketball game last year at Hampton High School.
Earlier this year a game that was only open to parents and grandparents was played at Hampton High School without incident.
Friday's incident at Deer Lakes caused the game to be suspended.
West Deer Police Chief Jon Lape said there was a shoving match between a Deer Lakes player and a Hampton player on the court and the game was halted near the end of the third quarter to try to resolve the situation.
Lape said Raelynn Dukovich became irate and was yelling obscenities at the officials. Lape didn't say if the Hampton player involved was Dukovich's son.
The chief said that when Raelynn Dukovich was asked to calm down she became belligerent toward police and King. Police decided to escort her out of the gym, Lape said.
King said that's when about 15 to 20 parents from both sides came out of the stands. Most listened to police and went back to their seats, but Peter Dukovich attacked Bell.
"He picked the official up, slammed him to the floor, hitting his back first and then his head. We called an ambulance right away," King said. "It was scary, I thought he was going to be seriously hurt."
"He was very incoherent. He tried to get up and he fell right back down again," King said.
Bell, who sustained a concussion in the incident, was taken to a hospital Friday and released that night, King said.
The superintendent said Dukovich probably is about 6 feet 2 inches tall, while Bell probably is about 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 170 pounds. King said he's not sure why Dukovich decided to go after Bell.
"I really felt terrible. He came clear from Scottdale and got hurt," King said.
When reached Monday at his home, Peter Dukovich said there's another side to the story, but he didn't want to make a statement at this time.
Bell could not be reached for comment.
The players witnessed the incident, but were sent to the locker room shortly after it happened. King said he's embarrassed that people who are supposed to be role models would become involved in such an incident.
Police decided to escort the Hampton fans out of the gym and Hampton's athletic director, who was at the game, decided not to continue the contest, King said.
"As Hampton fans were exiting they were taunting the Deer Lakes fans," King said.
Additional police from West Deer, three police officers from Indiana Township and three police officers from Richland responded to the scene. There were no additional incidents or arrests after the game.
Both schools have tapes of the game, but King said the Deer Lakes tape cuts off after the altercation between players, and doesn't show the attack on Bell.
King and Hampton Superintendent Lawrence Korchnack said the tapes will be reviewed to see if any disciplinary action will be taken against any of the players.
"It has not been brought to my attention that the tape indicates that there should be any student discipline," said Korchnack, who wasn't at the game.
Korchnack said it's always a shame when violence occurs.
"You don't want violence to be the first reaction," he said.
King said school officials were being proactive and provided adequate security for the game. The superintendent said there were two West Deer police officers, one school security guard, two principals and two athletic directors in attendance.
During a regular game attended by 300 to 400 people, there usually are four or five police officers on duty, King said.
That policy was put into place after an incident that took place during a Deer Lakes/Valley basketball game in 2001. At that game, a Valley player got into a fight with a fan who was not a student at the school. The Valley player's father punched the fan. The fan and the Valley player's father were charged with disorderly conduct.
King and Korchnack said they don't know what WPIAL officials will rule or what actions will be taken if the two schools play in the same section next year.
"Next year our recommendation will be no spectators at all if we stay in the same section," King said.
"We need to rectify the situation and make some provisions so something like this doesn't occur again," Korchnack said.
Both men said they will listen to WPIAL recommendations.
Korchnack said if either team had made the playoffs the incident might have had a bigger impact. Friday's game was the last game of the year for both teams.
WPIAL Executive Director Larry Hanley didn't return a phone call for comment.
Duane Newton, the PIAA representative for the WPIAL, said he wasn't at the game but is aware of the incident. He said there have been situations where schools have played games with no fans allowed to attend.
He said in basketball, more than football, fans are closer to the action. He said most officials don't seem to be worried about such an assault.
"We give PIAA camps three times a year and nobody comments on that," Newton said.
Mike Manko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County District Attorney's office, said the charge of assault on a sports official is rare. It carries a maximum penalty of a five-year jail term or a $10,000 fine, or both.
Dukovich was released from the county jail on his own recognizance. He faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 25 before District Justice Suzanne Blaschak in West Deer.
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Comments:
| From: (Anonymous) |
Date: February 10th, 2004 - 11:50 pm |
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'Additional police from West Deer, three police officers from Indiana Township' Yes! Indiana Men taking control in Deer Lakes (A WPIAL School District that I actually did attend,from K-2nd grade) thats what all incidents need, are Red and Blues from Indiana Township. Hopefully one of the officers was Chopie Sublinsky (The Unoffical Mayor of Indiana Township). Seriously though, this is absolutely ridiculous, just another case of parents ruining High School sports. This was bound to happen sooner or later. I remember being sworn at coming out of the Plum locker room by people who looked like they were a little older than students. This guy should go to jail for the maximum sentence, and I will not argue this.
T-Barr
| From: (Anonymous) |
Date: February 11th, 2004 - 01:06 am |
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I have known and played against members of the Dukovich family since I was 12. My dad played football against the alleged assaulter back in the day. Since I was young I can remember the family all being a bunch of assholes, including the oldest son who somehow got a full ride to Harvard to play baseball. Mr. Dukovich is a fat old man who has nothing better to do then run his mouth at his kids ballgames. I can recall many instances in high school baseball when he and his wife were so out of hand that Stan and I would try to throw our warm-up balls over the 1st base line fence to hit the two sitting in the stands. Dirty and low, I know, but it was deserved. Hampton sucks, just another story to prove it. However, my parents best friends son starts at point guard for the "whats a talbot" team and she said it was the most ridiculous thing she has witnessed in basketball. Her husband coached basketball at Central Catholic for twenty years. Just another perspective.
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