No Criminal Charges Filed Against Polonia After Oakland Incident

No criminal charges will be filed against Angel outfielder Luis Polonia, who was accused Thursday of assaulting a teen-ager before the Angels’ game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum.

Sgt. Joe Readman of the Assault Division of the Oakland Police Dept. said Friday that after an investigation and compilation of reports from witnesses--including Angel Manager Doug Rader and catcher Lance Parrish--the district attorney’s office declined to press charges. Don White, the Alameda County assistant district attorney who handled the case, could not be reached for comment Friday. However, Angel spokesman Tim Mead said the club was told charges would not be filed because both parties “shared responsibility” for the incident.

Polonia admitted that he gave the fan “a little push,” after the youngster taunted him with remarks about his conviction of having sex with a minor in Milwaukee last year. Polonia is still on probation for that offense.

“It wasn’t a punch at all,” Polonia said. “It was a matter of being angry for what I heard, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to happen again. I really feel bad about it.

“In Oakland, the fans were really mean to me. . . . People have been talking about my incident in Milwaukee since it happened.”

Readman said the complainant, whose name has not been made public, could pursue the matter as a civil case.