Sugar Land softball game fight: Man hospitalized, couple charged

SUGAR LAND - A Saturday evening youth softball game at Sugar Land’s Imperial Park escalated into a violent altercation between spectators, leaving one man hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and two parents facing criminal assault charges.

The backstory:

The incident happened on October 24 during a 12-and-under girls' tournament game. Sugar Land police went on to arrest Kiarious Hall and his wife, Jazmine Hall. 

Kiarious Hall faces two counts of assault causing bodily injury, while Jazmine Hall faces one count. Both were booked into the Fort Bend County Jail. 

Severe injuries reported from altercation

The confrontation left one man hospitalized with severe head trauma. 

Steve Shellist, the attorney representing him, confirmed his client remains hospitalized with a skull fracture, a fractured cheekbone, three brain bleeds, and a blood clot.

Shellist stated that he expects the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office to elevate the current misdemeanor charges to a felony.

"When you strike someone with an object that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death, whether it's a stick, a gun, a knife, or a metal cup, that is an aggravated assault, which is a felony, and it's on video," Shellist said.

What bystander video shows

Investigators who reviewed bystander video from the scene reported this sequence of events: 

In charging documents, police detailed witness video that showed three men engaged in an argument before Kiarious Hall, holding a metal water bottle in his right hand, swung it directly into a man’s face. The man is seen falling to the ground and going unconscious. 

They say it is unclear from the video angle if Hall was touched by that man before he swung the bottle. 

Court documents indicate Hall then swung the bottle again, sparking a physical struggle with the other man, later identified as Gary Greaser. Jazmine Hall was seen on video running into the altercation and throwing punches before bystanders separated the group.

Court documents say the man struck by the bottle was transported to St. Luke's Hospital with a head injury and Greaser sustained various lacerations on his forehead, chin, arms and knees. 

What led up to the conflict

According to probable cause affidavits, Kiarious Hall says he was cheering for his daughter’s team. Hall told responding officers that Greaser confronted him, claiming he was not allowed to cheer right before the players were about to pitch the ball. 

Hall says he engaged in a verbal dispute with Greaser. During the dispute, another man approached.

Hall alleges that he was elbowed and poked in the chest during the dispute prior to the escalation, saying he acted in self-defense. 

Attorney Steve Shellist maintains that his hospitalized client never touched Hall prior to being struck.

"There was no aggression on the part of my client at all," Shellist said. "There wasn't even an intent to be aggressive. It was just a 'hey, let's calm down.' It would be anything that I think any of us would do if we went up and we saw anybody getting aggressive with someone who was in our elderly population. I think any one of us would have stood up and said, 'Hey, let's diffuse this, let us calm down.'"

Assistant principal resigns from Lamar CISD

At the time of the altercation, Jazmine Hall was employed as an assistant principal at Lamar Junior High School.

Lamar CISD officials confirmed that Hall reported the incident to the district. She then resigned from her position, and it went into effect on Monday. 

Timbergrove Sports Association addresses incident

Timbergrove Sports Association declined an interview, but issued a statement confirming that both injured spectators belong to their program. 

"Two members of our Timbergrove Sports Association family were seriously injured during a violent attack at a youth softball tournament in Sugar Land on Saturday, October 24. The individuals arrested in connection with the incident are not affiliated with our association," the organization stated.

"Our immediate concern is for the victims and their families, as well as the young athletes, coaches and families who witnessed this deeply distressing event. We are focused on supporting them during this incredibly difficult time. There is absolutely no place for violence in youth sports. We are grateful to those who stepped forward to help during and after the incident, and to law enforcement and emergency medical services for their rapid response. Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families and with everyone in our community affected by what happened."

Sugar Land