Softbrawl: Arrests, suspensions rise from melee

A curveball was thrown into Saturday night softball action at Winchester City Park when an altercation between two men led to concerns about one of them gaining access to a gun which turned out not to be the case.

Winchester police reports said Zachary Alexander Simmons, from New Market, Alabama, was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, Kristina Ann Belken, from Hazel Green, Alabama, was arrested for assault, Kaysen S. Pfaff, from Greenbrier, was arrested for simple assault and Sarah E. Gobell, from Columbia, Tennessee, was arrested for having an active warrant from Maury County.

Ryan Fuller, Winchester police detective and the department’s public information officer, said the incident occurred at about 8:45 p.m. when officers responded to a call about a fight between two men, and one was believed to have threatened to get a gun from his vehicle.

However, Fuller said no instances of a potential active shooter were found.

When police arrived at the lower athletic fields at 1829 Phillip Fulmer Parkway, they made contact with Simmons who told them that he and another guy had been in a fight due to someone yelling at his son, police reports said, adding that Simmons was suspected of consuming alcohol and didn’t respond to the officers’ directives, reports said.

An off-duty Decherd police officer was at the scene and witnessed the turn of events, telling Winchester police that Simmons was the one who started the commotion, reports said.

The other individual in the fight opted not to press charges, reports said, adding that Simmons was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

When police arrived at the scene, another altercation, this time between two women — Gobell and Belken —had occurred.

Belken was arrested for assault. However, when doing background checks, police learned that Gobell had an active warrant, stemming from Maury County, and she was also taken into custody.

The governing body for adult softball in the state, Tennessee WSL, announced on their Facebook page Tuesday that they have reviewed videos discussed with city officials and the on-site director and determined that several people will be suspended from participating; Justin Gobell and Zachary Simmons for two years each. Sarah Gobell, Austin Holmes, Kristina Belken, Selena Simmons, Kaysen Pfaff, Anna Kathleen, Michael Sain, and Dylon Poole all one year.

“Softball is supposed to be a get away from the real world and a break from reality,” the governing body said in its post after viewing video of the incident. “What I witnessed Saturday was everything but that and if we don’t do nothing else right when it comes to Softball we will make sure our crew and fans are protected.”

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