Photographer alleges high school soccer star grabbed me by the throat in postgame brawl

A wild postgame brawl at a high school soccer match, in which a photojournalist alleges he a player grabbed him by the throat, was caught on video. 

The chaos occurred on Saturday night following a game in Jersey City between St. Benedict’s Prep and St. Peter’s Prep. St. Benedict’s star forward Amadou Hann charged toward players on St. Peter’s after the handshake line, kicking off the mayhem. 

A video posted by NJ Advanced Media, which reported on Monday that a photojournalist it assigned to the game had been attacked, showed Hann charging toward the opposing players before being restrained by teammates. 

But as Hann was removed from the situation, other players from both sides engaging with one other and the situation devolved into bedlam as coaches and other adults attempted to gain control of the scene. 

At least one punch could be seen being thrown in the video. 

What didn’t appear to be captured in the video was the incident involving photographer Tom Horak and Hann, who allegedly sprinted toward the photog, demanding he delete the photos he took of the brawl before grabbing Horak by the throat, the outlet reported. 

The video does show Hann running off the screen, which is believed to be when the altercation occurred. 

NJ Advanced Media reported that Horak had abrasions on his neck and that he declined medical attention at the field. 

Police were not called and the photographer declined to press charges, the outlet reported. 

“What he did is definitely not okay,” Horak said. “It was a scary moment. He charged and he kind of grabbed me by the throat. I don’t know if he was trying to grab my shirt and ended up grabbing my throat. My whole mindset was: Get out. Relax. Trying to calm down the situation.”

St. Benedict’s Prep said that it was aware of the incident and it was conducting an internal investigation, spokesperson Larry Geraghty told Patch.com. 

“While we are still gathering all the facts, we take this matter extremely seriously and are treating it with the utmost priority and care,” he said. “Our coaching staff, athletic department, and school leaders are actively reviewing eyewitness accounts, video footage, and statements from all parties involved.”

The statement added: “We are conducting an internal investigation in accordance with our policies to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.”

Spokesperson for the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association, Mike Cherenson, told NJ Advanced Media that it was “aware” of what happened and it was gathering information. 

“We take these matters very seriously,” the statement read. 

St. Peter’s Prep athletic director Rich Hansen described the fight that caused all the drama as “high school nonsense.”