Ko’d Referee Didn’t Want This Kind Of Fame

Bob West is a paralegal and an animal control officer for Spokanimal Care, so being in potentially dangerous situations isn’t unusual.

But the Valley resident didn’t expect to be knocked unconscious while refereeing a wrestling match.

It was a blow heard nationwide.

After West was head-butted by a Colville wrestler while working a match against West Valley, the incident was picked up and he has been interviewed by newspapers across the country.

Television stations clamored for the video tapes. He even heard from out-of state Army buddies whom he hadn’t been in contact with for years.

It was not how he envisioned spending his 15 minutes of fame.

“I could have thought of a more positive way than that,” said West, who is still recovering from the effects of the hit. “This certainly has been an adventure.”

The 5-foot-4, 195-pound official had gotten between the wrestlers following a pin and bumping incident. Tapes showed the losing wrestler striking him and shoving him to the mat unconscious as the wrestler lost his balance.

“The World Wrestling Federation called,” West joked on Monday. “They liked the way I fell.”

The incident, however, was no laughing matter. West said afterwards he realized his children could have been without a father.

His daughter Misty is a University High graduate who was an an all-league softball player and currently attends Mesa State College in Arizona. West and his wife Dawn also have a 9-year-old daughter, Brandi.

Since the head-butt, West has suffered from headaches and a neck injury. He’s been seeing a chiropracter and has been unable to lift heavy animals, although he has returned to the job.

And while he’s pursued assault charges against the wrestler, West’s main focus is to protect officials.

“The silver lining is if I can push legislation that gives us protected status, then it’s probably all worth it,” West said. “This thing’s not going away.”

Today, he is meeting with Spokane County Prosecutor Jim Sweetser, an attorney from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, area WIAA representatives, plus area officials to determine a course of action.

West has long enjoyed what he’s done. He wrestled at Lewis and Clark High School and in the military. A career Army enlistee, as a recreation specialist he said he ran athletic programs, coached and officiated both here here and abroad.

He has officiated wrestling and softball in Spokane since retiring from the military in 1991.

“We take pride in what we do,” West said. “We’re not there to glean the crowd’s attention. If we’re not seen we’ve done our job.”

Over the years West has seen isolated outbursts in athletic events. He said he even had rocks thrown at him once during a softball game.

Nothing compares to what happened to him in Colville.

“It’s a drastic change from when I wrestled at LC,” said West. “You wouldn’t have thought of arguing. Generally you wouldn’t speak or the coach would clip you.”

Today, he said, it is common for athletes to swear at officials.

“It’s a sign of the times today,” said West. “They see superstars getting away with it and it’s good enough for them. We catch the brunt of some of that.”

In his job as an animal control officer, West said he’s always aware of potential harm.

“Dogs are predictable,” he said. “You’re trained to handle different situations.”

The wrestling incident, however, caught him by surprise.

“As a referee you have no training given this situation,” he said. “It was totally unexpected.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo