This news report from WKMG News 6 details a violent altercation that occurred during a pickleball game in Port Orange. The hosts begin by discussing the social and approachable nature of pickleball (0:35), comparing it to "standing on a ping pong table" (0:50). However, they also highlight common sources of frustration in the game due to the lack of referees:
- Disputed "out" calls: Players can get angry when opponents unfairly call a ball "out" when it was clearly "in" (0:53-1:05).
- "Kitchen" line violations: Points are lost if a player steps into the "kitchen" (the non-volley zone near the net) while hitting the ball (1:37-1:44), and some players are accused of cheating by quickly backing out (1:50-1:57).
The report then focuses on a 911 call revealing the chaos of a pickleball fight (2:13). The caller explains that the fight escalated over "people calling the balls out" (2:24) and temper flaring for about 30 minutes (2:31). The altercation involved couples, with Anthony Sapienza (3:01) and his wife Julianne Sapienza (3:05) being identified as the aggressors.
The incident turned violent, leading to serious charges against Anthony Sapienza (3:10):
- Aggravated battery causing bodily harm (3:13).
- Two counts of battery on a person 65 and older (3:14).
According to the report, Sapienza allegedly:
- Split a man's head open with his paddle (3:25).
- Pushed over the man's wife (3:27) and called her a derogatory name (3:31-3:36).
- Punched another person who tried to break up the fight (4:19-4:21).
The hosts express shock and dismay at the level of violence over a recreational game (3:17-3:23, 4:00-4:03). The Sapienzas were arrested (3:44) and are likely facing prison time for felony battery (3:58). The report concludes with a caution to "be careful on those pictures" (4:26), referring to the intense nature of pickleball games.
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