CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — An umpire is behind bars after authorities say he allegedly put a Camden County deputy in a chokehold following an altercation at a local baseball field.
According to a press release from the Camden County Sheriff's Department deputies were called to Ballparks National in Macks Creek, after a woman claimed an umpire, later identified as 56-year-old Neal Sidebottom of Versailles, shoved her out of his way during a disagreement. When the deputy approached the umpire to get his statement, authorities say Sidebottom refused to identify himself.
Sidebottom then attempted to walk away from the deputy, according to a press release by the Camden County Sheriff's Office, and when the deputy attempted to stop him, the umpire allegedly turned on the deputy and took him to the ground in what witnesses described as a choke hold. After a struggle, and with assistance from several spectators, the deputy was able to take the umpire into custody.
In a conversation with Lake Expo, Ballparks National (BPN) General Manager Jeff Vernetti said the BPN team was "horrified and disappointed by the actions of this individual," adding they hoped the deputy would be able to make a quick recovery from his injuries sustained in the altercation. Vernetti praised the Camden County Sheriff's Office for its quick action in the incident. He also praised BPN staff: "Our staff did a good job of getting people out of the situation and getting him removed as quickly as possible."
"Safety and enjoyment of the event is our top priority," Vernetti said, "and that was sort of ruined by this umpire."
He explained the umpires at BPN games are not employees of Ballparks National — they’re employees of a separate company and are freelance workers at the ballpark.
"This umpire will never umpire here again, and we’ll do anything in our power to ensure he doesn’t umpire anywhere," he said. "We’ve taken steps to ensure that he’s not allowed on the property ever again."
Vernetti also emphasized that of the more than 4,000 games that have been played since the ballpark opened in 2020, this is the first incident of this nature. "We’ve had deputies say it’s not necessary to have a [deputy] on standby, because it’s so safe here," he said.
"We’re mortified at the impact this had on our guests," he said, adding, "We’re going to review our safety measures and see if there’s anything we need to improve in the future."
Vernetti ended, "This obviously goes against everything we stand for. We have a Sportsmanship Initiative to combat that very sort of thing."
Sidebottom was arrested and transported to the Camden County Adult Detention Facility. He is charged with the Class A Felony of 1st Degree Assault - Special Victim with Serious Physical Injury, and the Class A Misdemeanor of Resisting Arrest. He is being held on a $100,000 surety bond.
