Pokemon GO Father And Son Team Convicted Of Third-Degree Assault Over Gym Brawl

For Pokemon GO players, one of the toughest parts of the game is taking over and controlling local gyms. It’s a serious affair that has often resulted in petty squabbles and in this instance an actual physical brawl.

According to a report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 35-year old Angelo Matteuzi and his 75-year old father Robert Matteuzi assaulted another player on the opposing gym team over the right to claim the Pokemon gym located in Kirkwood Park in Kirkwood, MO. The victim, who went by his gaming name “Sammy the Bull” said that the fight escalated when Angelo started punching him which later escalated into a brawl that saw both men fall about five feet into Walker Lake at which point the older Matteuzi then jumped into the lake to help his son.

The fight was captured on video by a bystander trying to break up the fight. The video which was shown to jurors during the trial showed both Angelo and Robert repeatedly punching Sammy the Bull and holding him underwater. According to the testimony, the victim suffered a traumatic eye injury, facial abrasions, a broken fingertip, and a detached fingernail.

Testimony during the trial revealed a long-standing feud between Sammy and the Matteuzzi’s Pokemon teams which eventually led to the fight.

Both Matteuzzis were charged and convicted of felony third-degree assault with Robert getting three days of jail time and a hefty fine while his son, Angelo, got off with just a fine.