Football referee shot by fan's cannon at Maine Maritime Academy game
A referee at a Maine Maritime Academy football game was hit in the face with a cannon blast at the school’s homecoming game Saturday, News Center Maine reported Wednesday.
It’s tradition for the Academy’s athletic department to fire a cannon using a blank shotgun shell when the team scores. This time around, however, an unidentified alumnus brought his own cannon to the game and loaded it with black powder and placed a “wad” inside, the sheriff’s department told USA Today.
After the team scored in the fourth quarter, the man fired his cannon, and it hit a ref on the sideline in the head. News Center Maine obtained video of the incident, which shows the ref grabbing his head and falling to the ground.
The ref was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Hancock County Sheriff's Dept. is investigating the situation, and will forward findings on to the district attorney’s office pending criminal charges.
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