Video shows cops pepper spraying high school football players to stop post-game fight

Wild video shows Ohio cops pepper-spraying high school football players after a fight broke out during the post-game handshake.

The on-field scuffle started moments after the Washington High School Tigers in Massillon, Ohio, defeated visiting Cardinal Ritter College Prep Lions from St. Louis, Missouri, 28-14 late last Friday.

When coaches and staff failed to separate the players, Massillon cops ran on the field and started spraying some of those involved — seemingly only targeting the visitors, according to footage and reports.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said mom Ashley Ashburn, whose 16-year-old son, Cardinal Ritter defensive back Dayon “DJ” Ross, was sprayed in the face.

“Even if it was a fight, you don’t mace children,” the horrified mom told KDSK.

“Tell the kids to move. [Yell] ‘Get off the field. It’s time to get off the field,’” she suggested. “But not to pull out mace and mace them. No. Absolutely not.”

Several other players and staff from the Cardinal Ritter College Prep team, which traveled more than 500 miles for the game, were sprayed with the chemical irritant — but it does not appear that anyone from Washington High School was targeted, Sports Illustrated reported.

Another parent, Carolyn Thomas, maintained in a Facebook post that “there was no fighting” warranting such a response from law enforcement.

“Maybe a shove from the other team,” she wrote. But “just out of nowhere, the Ohio police decided to mace the team. I can’t believe our young men had to go through that.”

Other Cardinal Ritter players who were not directly sprayed complained of difficulty breathing after they were exposed to the chemical in the air, according to Sports Illustrated.

The teary-eyed team eventually left the field after the disappointing loss.

The Massillon Police Department said Wednesday that officers were trying to help coaches and school staff separate everyone after the pushing and shoving started. 

They were concerned because the brawl was nearing the Massillon marching band and cheerleaders who could have been hurt.

Officers “gave lawful orders on multiple occasions for Cardinal Ritter players to leave and head toward their locker room” but they were ignored, the department said.

“Ultimately, two Massillon police officers deployed pepper spray, which was effective,” cops said.

After reviewing the incident, the department determined the officers “operated within our policies and procedures for the use-of-force action.”

Cardinal Ritter College Prep, however, said they were still working on a solution for the “absolutely unacceptable incident” — but alleges that Washington High School does not seem interested in making up, according to KDSK.

“Neither the school where the game took place nor the school district have shown any interest in supporting an official investigation into why this happened,” Cardinal Ritter College Prep President Tamiko Armestead said in a statement, adding that they’ve filed complaints with the local police department.