Boys’ basketball: Pepper spray used during City Section brawl

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Pepper spray was used Wednesday afternoon at Crenshaw in an attempt to disperse fans who were fighting during a Crenshaw-Fremont boys’ basketball game, according to Michael Bowman, deputy chief of the Los Angeles school police.

The game was halted at the outset of the fourth quarter when fighting broke out between players after a hard foul by a Crenshaw player. Three school police officers and two safety officers were in attendance.

Bowman said that after officials decided to stop the game, spectators engaged in a brawl, and a police officer used pepper spray.

‘It hurts a lot and stings a lot, but it all goes away and leaves no permanent injury,’ he said. ‘It was used because people were fighting and failing to leave.’

Bowman said there were no arrests and the only injury was reported two hours later when a Fremont player discovered he had a laceration on his shin.

Crenshaw was awarded the victory by forfeit after Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan was given a second technical foul ‘for not controlling players on the bench,’ according to City Section administrator Trent Cornelius.

Cornelius said he has ordered both schools to postpone scheduled games for Friday pending completion of reports about the incident. ‘I can’t allow them to play a game at this point when I don’t know who needs to be suspended or ejected,’ Cornelius said.

Security will be increased when the two schools meet again on Feb. 6.

-- Eric Sondheimer