‘Everyone needs to let it go’: Carlisle police, district react after fight at football game

A videographer who said he was working for the national media outlet CBS News has been charged with assault after an incident at Friday’s Carlisle High School football game that followed the high-profile trial of Brooke Skylar Richardson.

David Sapp, 52, of Centerville, Utah, was arrested on three counts of assault and one count of resisting arrest, according to a Carlisle police report.

Officers working security were told at the end of the game that there was a fight happening behind the home stands, according to the report. They found multiple men wrestling with another man on the ground at Laughlin Field.

Three men who were involved in the fight, including the head of the school’s football boosters program, told police that Sapp “was attempting to record the Richardson family and was under the bleachers.” They said they told Sapp he needed to leave and Sapp struck them with his camera.

The men were pulled off of Sapp, who struggled with one of the responding officers, according to the report. An off-duty Dayton police officer also assisted, the report said.

Sapp told officers he was working as an independent contractor for CBS News and was attempting to film the football game. He said was “then attacked by multiple people so he started swinging his camera to defend himself,” according to the report.

“This is very unfortunate,” Bruck said. “There’s still lots of emotion on both sides of this case. Everyone needs to let it go. The trial is over and everyone needs to act civil, proper and legal. We’ll deal with any issues as they come.”

After Sapp was taken into custody, he was taken by ambulance to Atrium Medical Center, where he spent a few hours being treated. Sapp was then taken to the Warren County Jail where he was booked on the charges and released on a $25,000 cash/surety bond, according to jail booking records.

Kevin Tierney, Sapp’s attorney, appeared for the arraignment hearing Tuesday in Franklin Municipal Court. He waived Sapp’s presence at the hearing, entered a written plea of not guilty to the charges, as well as demands for discovery and a jury trial. The court set a pre-trial conference for 2 p.m. Oct. 8.

Sapp could not be reached for comment, and a message for comment was left for Tierney.

Carlisle Police Chief Michael Bruck said four videographers entered the football game after halftime.

“I don’t think anyone knew who they were,” he said.

MORE ON THE VERDICTS

• Jury finds Richardson not guilty on murder charge

• 'This was well over-charged from the get-go': Sides react to verdicts

MORE ON THE SENTENCING

• ‘There was no proof at all’: Juror describes Brooke Skylar Richardson verdict decision

• 'Bring closure for Annabelle': Richardson family to bury baby's remains more than 2 years later

Bruck said people saw a videographer under the home side bleachers taking video of the Carlisle cheerleaders and football team, thought it was inappropriate and contacted school employees. He said the Richardsons were already gone when the incident happened.

The incident came on the same day that Brooke Richardson, 20, of Carlisle was sentenced to three years of community control and seven days in jail, which was credited as time served, after being convicted of abuse of corpse. In the high-profile trial, Richardson was accused of having a baby in secret, murdering her and burying her in the backyard in May 2017.

Richardson was acquitted on charges of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangering.

Richardson’s brother, Jackson, is a member of the Carlisle football team.

“Any high school sporting event should be a wonderful learning experience for our student/athletes and a safe and enjoyable environment for our fans,” Carlisle Superintendent Larry Hook said in a statement. “We are committed to that end.”

Bruck declined to comment about security plans for tonight’s home football game.

Since last week’s sentencing hearing, Bruck said police have had a few calls in the family’s neighborhood about suspicious cars driving around near Richardson’s home.

In one incident reported about 9:15 p.m. on Sept. 15, a white van was seen where a camera crew of two men and a woman was working in the front yard of a house. Police responded, then checked with the homeowner “who seemed surprised that officers were there and stated that the news crew had permission to be on the property,” according to the report.

Bruck there have been no increase of patrols in the Eagle Ridge neighborhood since the trial ended but that officers will respond to all calls from residents.

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