Teens Charged With Assault Following “Ultimate Fighting” Bout
Hardly MMA related and clearly straying from our typical posts, but I have to pass along this news from my nearby hometown:
Two 16-year-old boys are being charged in juvenile court for staging what they called an “Ultimate Fighting Championship” that left both bloody after school, police said.
Police in Corry began investigating Friday when the mother of one of the boys told police she believed her son had been jumped and attacked. The other boy had been treated for head injuries at a hospital that day, police Chief Fred Corbett said.
“Thank God their injuries weren’t life-threatening,” Corbett told The Associated Press on Monday. “But I can see that happening. I can absolutely see that happening.”
Police said they determined the boys agreed to fight each other and to mimic the mixed martial arts fights that are popular on television under names such as Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting.
The boys fought in the playground area outside an abandoned elementary school in Corry, about 20 miles southeast of Erie, after their school had let out for the day. Other youths gathered to watch the fight, but Corbett said he doesn’t know how many.
Police did not identify the boys because they are being charged in Erie County Juvenile Court, where all but the most serious criminal cases are confidential. Corbett said he was publicizing the charges to warn teens of the dangers and so their parents will be aware that some teens are emulating what they see on TV.
“I’ve seen Ultimate Fighting and you probably have, too, on television. And those athletes are trained for that and they have doctors and referees present,” Corbett said. “Here, they have none of that. It’s a very dangerous thing.”
Both boys are being charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor.
If the boys are adjudicated delinquent, the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict, they could remain under court supervision until they are 21.
I have to give props to Corry for not being like most other towns with regards to “Ultimate Fighting” and actually respecting the athletes (see quote above) rather than bash the sport as nothing more than “human cockfighting” that is detrimental to society.
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when did an after-school fight become “mimicing Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Its called fighting, and kids have been doing it since the dawn of time.
This was an organized fight that they called “Ultimate Fighting” which was held at an abandoned elementary school. I see where you’re coming from, but they were mimicking MMA fights according to the article.
What I would like to know is: If both parties agreed to the fight for the alleged purpose of staging their own “UFC” how can they then be charged with assault, but someone that hurts another kid playing backyard football is not charged with assault?
If I was a lawyer for the kids I would make that ^^ argument anyways.
That’s the same thing I was thinking. If they both consented to it why “press charges”. The only thing I can figure is that because they’re juveniles it may not be their decision to make.
If that’s the case, then why can they make the decision to play backyard football but not backyard fighting? We had 2 kids die here in the triangle this year after football practice (1 from asthma related issues, the other was head injury) but there’s only been 1 MMA related death in a sanctioned event, yet kids can play football (unsanctioned) at any age and if they get hurt no one gets charged. But if they do MMA (unsanctioned) then they get charged.
In regards to being of consenting age… what is the consenting age for sex in PA? Some states consider 16 to be a consenting age for that, if you’re allowed to have sex at 16 you put yourself at risk for HIV/AIDS, which is fatal, among other non fatal STDs.
my nephew actually did the same thing. mayb its state law(we live in ny) but my nephew and a friend staged a fight after school at an elementry school and didnt get assault charges. as a matter o fact they were more pissed that they scared all the elementry school kids(the elementry school was still in session). its either state law in pa that any fight carry a mandatory assault charge or my parents plus the other kids didnt press charges where as these kids parents did.
I’m in agreement with what everyone’s saying. There’s no way two consenting 16-year-olds should be charged for assault when it’s no different than a lot of other unsanctioned things they do. Unless there’s a mandatory law, as huerta points out, that requires charges be issued I fail to see why they’re being charged in this case. Again, I (luckily) don’t know all the details of the PA legal system, but there has to be something more here for them to be charged and not simply warned. In all likelihood though, since it was consented to by both kids, they’ll likely get off with warnings anyways, it just sucks we have to clog our legal system up with this crap.
Anytime someone is hospitalized for injuries resulting from a fight it is mandatory that the hospital notifies the police and that some assault charge is filed “on behalf” of the victim. What will happen is that once the charges get to the DA both can request that charges be dropped and then it’ll be the DA’s choice to drop these charges OR bring lesser charges like criminal mischief or disturbing the peace. God help them if there were people betting on it though…then it’d be worse.
Man! I feel bad for the parents. In a case like this it’s hard to find something to say. I mean kids are going to do what they want. Some parents aren’t there to tell their kids that “Ultimate Fighting” is done by professionals with doctors and reffs present. And the parents who do tell there kids…, well most kids don’t care and do dumb things like hold fights at an elementary school anyway. That’s what kids do, they disobey and copy what they see on t.v, whether it be “Jackass” or “Ultimate Fighting”. I just hope that people don’t start blaming the UFC or ot MMA period because we all know that the MMA organizations don’t promote street fights, and more importantly non sanctioned fights.
If these two dumbass kids are convicted of assault, it will be because the judge wants to “set a precedent” and “make an example” of them both to keep future schoolyard MMA bouts from happening. But that is exactly the sort of decision I hate; neither kid will be well served by a judge who is more concerned about others emulating these kids than actually giving these kids the punishment they deserve, which should be nothing more than a verbal berating and a lecture about common sense.
I think the kids should be harshly warned and the parents also. They agreed so being under court supervision until their 21 is a bit too much.
I meant they’re.
My mistake.
yea the boys can be charged they admitted to illegal activities and are underage so the police can just charge them directly, those kids should of wore gloves they just ruined thier future dumbasses
1st rule of fight club: don’t talk about fight club.
“…those athletes are trained for that and they have doctors and referees present,” Corbett said
At least they aren’t out to bash the UFC/MMA. It was more of a ‘keep your eye on your kids because they are stupid and emulate what they see on TV’ article.
I noticed that too. I always get nervous when I see things like this happen because it puts the sport in a bad light. Good to see that was a point made.
Amen.
That is ridiculous who watches their kids anymore goodness…
pure sarcasm
Two points as to why they are charged with a crime…
First, you cant “consent” until you are 18. This would be a case of “statutory assult”. Both are “consenting” minors which does not carry any weight.
Second, the law is the law. The victem does not have to press charges and often doesnt. This is often the case in assult cases where both parties are at fault. Neither wants to press charges but both are charged. Consider what would happen if it was required to press charges. What would happen to a murder when there is no living victem to press charges?
like I said above though it’ll be at the discretion of the DA whether or not to force charges through. Chances are they’ll get reduced charges but they will still get something.
I think if both people agreed to fight that no charges should be pressed
It pisses me off when they don’t allow people to do what they want.
We’re totally free to do what we want in this world aren’t we.
I was suspended for posting videos of me actually fighting.
I called it “Fight club” and it was me and my best mate fighting, we didn’t hit each other in the face but I got suspended for it. They went softer on me than they would have in any other case but I still should have been free to do so.
No, sorry, you’re not that free, welcome to reality.
In the US, if you’re under 18 you’re not even considered a consenting adult, hence not being about to buy cigarettes, or lottery tickets, not being eligible for the draft, not being able to go to strip clubs, not being able to watch porn, etc.