Lee County deputies say 34-year-old Renee Lambert ran onto a Pop Warner field in Fort Myers on May 2 and kicked a 13-year-old player during a post-play scuffle. Sideline video and deputies' body-cam footage captured the altercation and the subsequent confrontation with officers. Lambert was arrested on counts of child abuse without great bodily harm and resisting an officer without violence, briefly evaluated at a hospital, and released the next day. Local youth football leaders condemned the behavior and banned Lambert from team activities.
Florida Woman Allegedly Kicked 13-Year-Old During Pop Warner Fight, Confronts Deputies
Image Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Fort Myers, Fla. — A 34-year-old woman is accused of running onto a Pop Warner field during a youth football confrontation on May 2 and kicking a 13-year-old player who was on the ground, Lee County sheriff's deputies said.
Sideline video from Brooks Park shows players tumbling into a scuffle after a play, then an adult stepping into the pile and appearing to kick a player who was down. Deputies working the event later identified the woman as Renee Lambert and released body-camera footage of officers confronting her away from the field.
What Deputies Say Happened
According to the probable-cause statement cited by ABC News, witnesses told deputies that Lambert kicked the juvenile multiple times. The youth later told deputies he was kicked in the leg; deputies reported no visible injuries during their initial assessment.
Lambert told officers she had been struck first and pointed toward a player wearing No. 9. Law enforcement said a review of available evidence did not corroborate her claim that a player hit her with a helmet.
"I'm mad at an adult for attacking a kid," a deputy told Lambert during a tense exchange visible on body-camera footage.
When deputies tried to detain Lambert she resisted, telling officers "No, I'm not. Goodbye," and pulling away as they attempted to place her in handcuffs. She repeatedly demanded that deputies locate the player she identified.
Arrest, Medical Check and Release
Lambert was arrested on charges of child abuse without great bodily harm and resisting an officer without violence. The probable-cause report indicates she later complained of head pain and was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Lee County Jail. Public records showed she was released the following day.
Local Reactions
Officials from youth football organizations strongly condemned the incident. Southwest Florida Panthers Youth Football president Jose Davila said the group has a "zero tolerance" policy for that behavior, and the Fort Myers Falcons announced Lambert had been banned from team events and that the organization will cooperate with law enforcement.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office has not released additional charges beyond the initial arrest, and the investigation remains active. Video and body-camera footage of the incident have circulated publicly and formed the basis of the deputies' probable-cause account.
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