Postgame football handshake between school teams ends in bedlam with cops pepper-spraying one team

A postgame handshake between rival high school football teams that erupted into a fight was ended by police officers who unleashed a downpour of pepper spray on the visiting team.

Minutes after a close game between the Washington Tigers and Cardinal Ritter College Prep Lions ended in Massillon, Ohio, on Friday night, a fight broke out in the postgame handshake line, Fox 2 Now reported.

Footage taken by videographer Dylan Kelley showed the coaches separating players as they appeared to yell at each other on the field. Police officers can be seen stepping in and firing pepper spray at players and coaches from Cardinal Ritter, the visiting team that had just lost 28-14.

Players can be seen running away and crying out in horror as the officers sprayed a large amount of the chemical irritant in their direction. Cardinal Ritter College Prep, a top 25 Missouri program from St. Louis, traveled over 500 miles to Massillon for the game.

The chaotic altercation seemed to unfold after one player was shoved while the two teams were shaking hands after the game, witnesses told Sports Illustrated.

The Massillon Police Department said it was not yet prepared to release a statement regarding the incident. It was unclear why officers only sprayed the mace at one of the teams.

At least one Cardinal Ritter player, sophomore defensive back Dayon “DJ” Ross, 16, got the chemical irritant on his face. Immediately after, a teammate rushed to try and help rinse his eyes with water from a Gatorade bottle.

Several other players and coaches were also hit with the chemical irritant, while some others who weren’t sprayed said they experienced breathing problems after inhaling the chemical as it was in the air.

Ross’ mother, Ashley Ashburn, slammed the incident on social media, writing that her son “gave his all on that field, and instead of simply heading back to the bus with his teammates, he was met with unnecessary force.” She told Fox 2 she still has not received an explanation from police as to what had happened.

“It was very disheartening when I saw the video,” she told the outlet. “It was alarming. I’m steady asking questions, like what happened? Was it a fight? Did the police give some kind of warning?”

Ashburn says she has also contacted the Ohio Civil Rights Commission about the incident.

Kelley, who took the video of the incident, said players on the two teams had been fighting the entire game, but the incident was still terrifying to witness.

“It was just so shocking to see that happen in front of me,” he said. “It was very eye-opening. Like, why would this happen? Why would you pepper-spray, mace a bunch of high schoolers?”

In a statement, Cardinal Ritter’s president, Tamiko Armstead, said, “We are aware of the incident that occurred at the Massillon, OH, football game last week, and we were very troubled by a video of what happened.”

Armstead said the school is helping families and witnesses file formal complaints with the Massillon police department.