Football coach charged with ‘slamming’ boy, 12, during practice, warrants say
A volunteer youth football coach is facing charges after he allegedly slammed a 12-year-old boy to the ground during practice at a South Fulton park this week, officials said.
The player was injured Monday night at Old National Park off Pleasant Hill Road. He has since been released from the hospital.
Jonathan Richard Sagers was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday after he was arrested on unrelated charges while police investigated the chaos at football practice. South Fulton police announced Thursday he was facing charges of felony first-degree cruelty to children and misdemeanor battery in connection with the boy’s injuries.
“We do not move forward with arrests or charges until we’ve gathered sufficient evidence. We appreciate the community’s patience as our investigators worked feverishly to establish the facts in this case,” South Fulton public safety director Cedric Alexander said.
According to arrest warrants, Sagers told police he was showing the boy a technique “where he grabbed his shoulder pads and threw him on the ground.” Sagers added that the victim got up afterward and continued practice, the warrant states.
An officer who spoke to witnesses was told the boy lost consciousness because of the impact.
Another player on the team advised police that Sagers and the victim got into an argument and that when the boy began to walk away, Sagers grabbed his shoulder pads and threw him to the ground, the warrant details. The player added that Sagers taunted the victim while he was on the ground, officials wrote in the warrant.
The warrant adds that Sagers “intentionally” caused harm to the victim by “slamming him on the ground.”
At the time of the incident, officials said Sagers was wanted on outstanding warrants issued by authorities in Atlanta. He is facing unrelated charges of possession of drugs, possession of a weapon, driving on a suspended license, willful obstruction of law enforcement and other charges.
On Aug. 29, Sagers was pulled over because he was not wearing a seat belt while driving a red Mazda on Gartrell Street according to warrants. During the stop, the warrants state he fled the scene, and an officer searched the vehicle due to its abandonment.
Several grams of marijuana, suspected amphetamines and a firearm were found inside the vehicle during a search, officials said.
South Fulton police said Sagers passed a background check in late July, prior to joining the football team as a volunteer coach.
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