Trial of father accused of hitting girl at a soccer game underway
Michael Stallone, 44, is facing multiple charges, including assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
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A father accused of hitting an 11-year-old girl in the face during a soccer game took the stand Monday in his trial.
Michael Stallone, 44, is facing multiple charges, including assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
He's accused of hitting an 11-year-old girl in the face during a soccer game last year at Mitchell Athletic Field.
According to court documents, it happened after the victim collided with another girl during the game.
Witnesses in the courtroom described that collision as "jarring."
Court documents say Stallone ran onto the field from the sidelines and that he struck the victim with an open hand and elbow, causing injuries.
Stallone took the stand on Monday and said he never hit or injured anyone.
"It was an instinctual reaction on Mike's part to step on the field to make sure everybody was okay because that's not a collision that you routinely see in an 11-year-old soccer game," says Stallone's attorney Marc Gann.
Jurors saw a 7 second video from that game multiple times on Monday. The screen was faced toward the jury and people in the gallery didn't see it. In the video, you can hear someone saying "woah" multiple times and calling for the referee.
"It's clear on the video her left is where he's coming from," Gann says. "Her right is where she had the collision with the other girl."
But prosecutors and the girl's family say the girl's injuries to her face are from Stallone's slap, not the collision.
The prosecution had no comment after court adjourned for the day.
The family of the 11-year-old girl was also in the courtroom today. They told News 12 their daughter is still traumatized.
Closing arguments will start Tuesday.
