VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — A California junior college football player has been arrested after he appeared to punch a referee during a game Saturday night.
The Ventura County Star reports that Mount San Antonio freshman offensive linesman Bernard Schirmer was immediately ejected from the game and later arrested on suspicion of battery and taken to Ventura County jail.
READ MORE: Police investigate high school football players who hit referee
“Oh my god, the ref jut got punched in the face by a player,” the broadcast announcer for SocCal College Sports is heard saying. “I have never seen anything like that in my life.”
Trainers from both Mount San Antonio and Ventura College immediately raced onto the field to tend to the injured official. He was replaced and did not return to the game.
Police say the official, whose name was not released, had broken up an argument between players and was struck while walking Schirmer back to his huddle.
The newspaper reports that California Community College Athletic Association bylaws say striking an official is punishable by a five-year ban.