Videos showing two Texas high school football players pummeling a referee during a Friday night game, which resulted in their suspension from school, is being investigated by police.
The two football players from San Antonio’s John Jay High School were caught on video from two different angles pummeling the referee while he watched a play on the field. One ran into the referee from behind, and another player took a dive into him while he was on the ground.
The chaos unfolded with about a minute left in Friday's game against Marble Falls High School, according to The Associated Press.
The Marble Falls Police Department said in a statement Monday that investigators were reviewing several videos of the incident. The statement said that the referee was “targeted” and “blindsided” by the two athletes, who have not been identified by authorities.
“No arrests have been made at this time,” police said, but the players have already faced consequences doled out by their school district.
"The two players in question have been suspended from the team and school pending further investigation," Stan Laing, executive director of athletics for the Northside Independent School District, said in an email to NBC News.
"The video that we saw is extremely disturbing. It is not the good sportsmanlike behavior that we teach students. We are in touch with and cooperating with the UIL (University Interscholastic League) in the investigation," said a statement from the district. “Northside ISD will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”
Both players involved had been immediately ejected from the game, the University Interscholastic League said in a statement Sunday. "The UIL takes this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete," the statement said.
