Parent accused of pushing Seattle youth hockey refs charged with assault
SEATTLE – The Seattle City Attorney’s Office has charged a man accused of shoving two youth hockey referees with two counts of fourth-degree assault.
According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Seattle Municipal Court, Uriel Isaac Cortes Gonzalez intentionally assaulted the boys.
Fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor that typically comes with a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and an up to $5,000 fine, the city attorney’s office said.
The youth referees, ages 14 and 13, were sent sprawling to the ice Sunday morning at the Kraken Community Iceplex at Northgate when Gonzalez allegedly walked onto the ice and pushed both boys.
The incident, which was caught on video and posted on social media by the Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association, drew national attention.
Jody Carpenter, president of the PNAHA, said Sno-King ice rinks banned Gonzalez. After PNAHA met with the USA Hockey council to determine its jurisdiction, PNAHA extended the ban to all USA Hockey rinks in the state pending a hearing.
“We found three disinterested people to be on the panel for the hearing and once that hearing concludes, we’ll have a final decision on what the ultimate suspension or penalties will be,” said Carpenter, who expects the hearing to take place in about a week.
“He will be considered trespassing if he does enter any USA Hockey rink or PNAHA facility inside the state of Washington,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said PNAHA posted the video in hopes it would “create some local awareness, to kind of let people know the current state of parent involvement in youth sports – the fanatical side.”
“Having it take off like it did, I couldn’t imagine,” said Carpenter, who has heard from people across the nation, including USA Hockey president Mike Trimboli, who called to express his support.
Carpenter is hopeful the spotlight might lead to change.
“This isn’t an isolated incident,” Carpenter said. “There’s been an escalation of bad parent behavior. This is just the extreme version of that. Hopefully, parents look at that and realize, ‘I never want to be that guy. I never want to be close to that guy. I want to be as far away from that behavior as possible.’ ”
Rob Lampman, chief operating officer of the Kraken and the Kraken Community Iceplex, released this statement Tuesday morning.
“First and foremost, we want to extend our heartfelt concern for the officials, players, coaches and families involved in the recent incident at KCI. We are in touch with them to offer any support they need, and we are grateful to hear the young officials appear to be in good spirits and looking forward to their next game.
“The Seattle Kraken and Kraken Community Iceplex strive to foster an environment of just that – community – where everyone can share their love of hockey. The Kraken code posted on the walls at KCI reminds us of that, and our values, everyday.”
Lampman also said in his statement that the Jr. Kraken community has a started a Cool Down Challenge on social media “to remind everyone to respect referees.”
Lampman continued: “We are proud to support them and encourage others to participate. Together, we can create a safer, more positive environment for everyone involved.”