Man gets 60 days for hitting teen player at soccer match

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Virginia man has pleaded no contest to knocking a 14-year-old soccer player to the ground and punching him during a match.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that Jordan Lee Grinnell, a chief engineman in the Navy, entered the plea Thursday to a misdemeanour assault charge. Grinnell was sentenced to 60 days in jail, but he can serve his time on the weekends. The Virginia Beach man apologized to the court, the teen and his family.

The assault happened in June during the North American Sand Soccer Championship in Virginia Beach. Prosecutors say Grinnell rushed from the sidelines when his son and another boy got into a tussle while competing for the ball. They say Grinnell punched the other boy in the face, knocking him to the ground as he continued to throw punches.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com