Witnesses: Man chased boy with bat on baseball field

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Deputies said a man tried to attack an 11-year-old boy with a baseball bat at a youth league practice and he's charged with assault on a child.
 
Eyewitness News reporter Ken Lemon spoke to the victim's mother. She told him who deputies said was able to stop the attack.
 
A coach stopped the father of one of his players, who reportedly chased the boy with a baseball bat.
 
The boy was back to play ball Tuesday night even though Michael McCoy was banned from the field.

Mia Guinther said she has one question for the man who reportedly chased her son with a baseball bat.

"What were you thinking?" Guinther said.
 
Last Thursday her son wrapped up baseball practice and was playing with McCoy's sons.
 
One of McCoy's sons plays on the same team as Guinther's son.
 
Witnesses said McCoy thought his child was being bullied so he yelled to his other son.
 
Guinther said McCoy said, "Get me a baseball bat out of the back of the car."
 
Other parents reportedly saw the 45-year-old man chasing the boy with a baseball bat.
 
Guinther said luckily the coach saw it and stepped up.
 
"(He) told this father he needed to leave the ballpark and never come back," Guinther said.
 
"Whenever does an adult man have the right to chase an 11-year-old boy who is 80 pounds with the intent to harm that child?" Guinther said.
 
McCoy is out on bond but didn't want to talk to comment on the charges.
 
Channel 9 learned in 2010 he pleaded guilty to possession of a concealed weapon.
 
Part of his punishment included completing an anger management program.
 
Sheriff's investigators said McCoy admitted he got angry with the boy.
 
They said parents need to set an example and keep their cool.
 
 "Time to step back and deal with it as an adult and not let our tempers overrule the matter," said Lt. Chase Coble, with the Union County Sheriff's Office.

The president of Local League said this is the second time police have been called here in the past 15 years and didn't want to comment about the case.

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