Police Awaiting Report on Attack on Coach’s Wife

Police are awaiting the report of an officer to determine whether charges will be filed against a woman who struck the wife of Camarillo High basketball Coach John Harbour on Friday night.

Sharon Harbour was hit in the face at the Marmonte League game between Camarillo and Simi Valley at Camarillo High. She was taken to a local hospital, where she received four stitches, then returned for the end of the game.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, which took statements from Sharon Harbour and an unidentified woman involved in the incident, said the report has not yet been filed.

“I know no arrests were made, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t issue a battery citation against the other lady,” Sgt. Keith Lazz said.

According to John Harbour, his wife was sitting behind the Camarillo bench when an unidentified male spectator began shouting at him. His wife, he said, came to his defense.

“The guy kept yelling, ‘He’s a jerk, he’s a jerk,’ at me,” John Harbour said. “And she just turned and suggested that he move down toward where the Simi people were sitting.”

A woman sitting with the man then directed an epithet at her, explained Harbour’s wife, who said she turned around and was greeted with a blow to the head.

“I didn’t see it happen,” John Harbour said. “I just heard her call my name. When I got to her there was blood all over her face and clothes. She was bleeding profusely. I think she must have been hit with a ring to cause that much damage.”

Police escorted Sharon Harbour, the man and the woman to a classroom for questioning, but no arrests were made. The game, which was won by Simi Valley, 88-58, was delayed about 10 minutes while order was restored.

“I can accept a degree of responsibility because I’m aggressive verbally during a game,” John Harbour said. “I mean, I yell at the kids, but that’s part of the game. I’m not physically abusive. There’s no place for that kind of behavior.

“I’m not really sure why no arrests were made, but if that had been me and another guy hitting each other they’d have handcuffed me and hauled me off.”

Harbour said he will seek an attorney’s advice regarding punitive damages.

“She’s my wife, she’s very supportive and I love her,” he said. “But I’ve told her she’ll run into people like that sometimes. You have to be careful. She probably cares too much.”