LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets Sued After Ball Allegedly Drove Over Foot Of 12-Year-Old Fan
CHARLOTTE, NC – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is facing a lawsuit for allegedly driving over a boy’s foot during a team event. Tamaria McRae, the mother of 12-year-old Angell Joseph, filed the complaint against Ball and the Hornets, WSOC-TV reported. McRae said the incident happened in October 2023 as her son and other fans approached the players as they were leaving the Hornets’ annual Purple and Teal Day.
“[Angell] was like, ‘LaMelo, I love you. I love you, sign my … give me your autograph. Can you sign it for me?’ McRae said in an interview with WSOC-TV.
According to McRae, Ball ran over Joseph as he drove away without signing anything.
“I just seen my son kind of go down, and I thought maybe he had dropped something,” McRae said.
In the following months, Joseph faced physical and mental hurdles, McRae added.
“For a while, I couldn’t even recognize who my child was because, like depression, not being able to go outside and play,” she said. “It’s been rough. It’s been real rough. I mean, like, I’m a strong person. This broke me. This right here, it really did.”
The family’s lawyer, Cameron DeBrun, said missing information from the police report has made it difficult for his clients to file a claim with Ball’s insurance and pay for Joseph’s medical bills.
“Because that information was not provided, we only have one recourse, and that‘s the court system,” DeBrun told WSOC-TV.
DeBrun also answered critics who believe the family is only going after Ball because he is a celebrity.
“I’d say if that were the case, we would have done this a long time ago. They had no desire to seek legal action. They wanted healing,” DeBrun said.
The lawyer said it has been disappointing to see Joseph getting hurt by somebody he looked up to once.
“This is his hero, his idol, and he got run over by him,” DeBrun said.
The family is also holding the Hornets accountable, saying the team didn’t do enough to protect fans.