GOSHEN — A Merrillville man is accused of knocking a coach unconscious during a fight at a children’s soccer game in September.
Shannon Shivers, 34, is charged with battery resulting in moderate injury and intimidation, both Level 6 felonies. The warrant for his arrest, which was issued Jan. 6, also charges him with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Authorities identified him as the attacker based on eyewitness descriptions, video recordings of the fight and Bureau of Motor Vehicle records.
According to court documents:
The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Goshen soccer field, at 20792 C.R. 36, for a report of a fight on Sept. 15 around 1:45 p.m. Officers interviewed multiple witnesses and learned that the fight broke out during a game between the Goshen Stars and the Indiana Elite, from Merrillville.
Witnesses gave a description of Shivers, who was apparently the father of one of the Merrillville players. The player, who was around elementary-school age, was seen getting into a vehicle with Shivers and leaving the scene after the fight.
During the first half of the game, witnesses said, Shivers approached the Goshen team’s bench and tried to start a fight with the head coach. He was allegedly heard saying, “I’m gonna beat that (man’s) ass. I don’t even like him, he talks too much.”
Coaches from Indiana Elite stopped Shivers from starting a physical fight with the Goshen coach.
In the second half, the Elite player who later left with Shivers committed a hard foul against a Stars player, then punched the player. Coaches from both teams and parents who were watching entered the field to separate the players.
An assistant coach for the Stars and Shivers also approached the two players. Shivers punched the coach in the face, with enough force to lift him off the ground and leave him briefly unconscious, witnesses said.
The coach did not hit Shivers back. Officers who spoke with the coach noted that his lip was cut and swollen.
A referee stepped in to pull Shivers away from the coach. The referee later identified Shivers from a photo lineup.
Witnesses gave a description of the vehicle Shiver left in and its license plate. Officers used the information to find a BMV photo of Shivers, which matched the description of his appearance.
Officers also collected video of the fight and of Shivers leaving the field, getting in the vehicle and driving away.