Phila. Man Acquitted After Pulling Gun at Peewee Football Game

**ursavus.elemensis** · April 17th, 2007, 06:54 PM

Posted: Tuesday, 17 April 2007 2:27PM

Phila. Man Acquitted After Pulling Gun at Peewee Football Game

by KYW's Tony Hanson

A Philadelphia judge has found a pistol-packing parent of a "peewee" football player was justified in pulling his gun on a substitute coach who was beating him during a sidelines altercation during a game in the Burholme section of Northeast Philadelphia last October (see related story).

The defense conceded that defendant Wayne Durkotch pulled out a gun, but said it was in self-defense after he was beaten to the ground by the coach.

Defense attorney Brian Quinn:

"He is someone who has a permit to carry, he's licensed to carry. He only pulled the gun when he was in fear of dying. He was getting beat. He acted responsibly. Once he pulled the weapon, he put it away right away after the situation cleared. He waited for the police as he should have done."

But coach Jermaine Wilson, who was filling in as coach that day, testified that parents including Durkotch were hollering and cursing him and that Durkotch had pushed him, and that's when he started hitting Durkotch.

The judge has found Durkotch not guilty of all charges, but the judge said he was extremely disappointed to see all of this happen around children, who are five, six, and seven years old.

**TwistedCopper** · April 17th, 2007, 08:05 PM

As a little league baseball coach all I can say is they are all idiots and just plain miss what kids' sports is all about.

Glad to see at least the guy was responsible with his pistol and didn't make us all look like asses. [sarcasm]Gee I wonder why this wasn't on the local news

[/sarcasm]

**cccpNik** · April 18th, 2007, 12:45 PM

It actually was on the news... I remember NBC 10 covered it one night...

**1911shooter** · April 18th, 2007, 01:06 PM

I too am a little league baseball coach and yes parents are sometimes rude and just cant be dealt with as a coach you need to turn the other check and take it... i'm glad the father was found not-guilty, and the coach should not be allowed to coach anymore... also if he was willing to start beating the father then what else was he willing to do in front or to the kids....????????