FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — The visiting high school football player seen in a now-viral video hitting a Fernandina Beach player in the face with a helmet has been arrested.
In the last two hours, Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeffrey Tambasco confirmed with Action News Jax that 18-year-old Daniel Byers of Bell High School was arrested in Gilchrist County.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Action News Jax also got a copy of the arrest warrant.
Fernandina Beach High School hosted Bell High School on Friday for a football game. Bell High School is just outside Gainesville.
A video captures the moment number 55 for Bell High School got very physical with a player from Fernandina Beach High School, ripping off his helmet and hitting him with it.
Fernandina Beach Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office secured an arrest warrant for Byers on Tuesday morning. Investigators say the victim is 15 years old.
RELATED: Chief: Warrant issued for football player who hit Fernandina Beach teen in head with helmet in game
“The only other incident that I know of of this magnitude was in professional sports, not in high school sports,” Tambasco said.
Action News Jax asked Tambasco what caused an arrest warrant to be filed in this case, compared to other fights that sometimes erupt during high school football games.
“I think a fight on the field is somewhat expected; however, when you use a weapon, which in this case would be the helmet from the victim, that escalates things quite a bit,” Tambasco said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Gilchrist County School District Superintendent Gina Geiger sent out the following statement about the incident:
“The Gilchrist County School District is aware of an incident that occurred during the recent football game between Bell High School and Fernandina Beach High School, in which a Bell High School student struck a Fernandina Beach High School student with a helmet.
“We want to be clear that the Gilchrist County School District does not condone any form of aggressive or unsportsmanlike behavior. This incident does not reflect the values or expectations we hold for our students, athletes, or community.
“The situation is currently under review in accordance with district policies and athletic guidelines. Because this matter involves students, we are limited in the details we can share. Appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings of our review.
“We remain committed to promoting respect, sportsmanship, and integrity—both on and off the field—for all Gilchrist County Schools students and teams.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Nassau County School District also released a statement.
“The incident at the conclusion of last Friday night’s football game between Fernandina Beach High School and Bell Middle/Senior High School, involving a Bell player pulling a FBHS player’s helmet off and striking him in the head with the helmet, has been reported to the Sunshine State Athletic Conference for investigation. Bell Middle/Senior High School administration is aware of the incident, and appropriate disciplinary consequences will be administered. The safety of our student athletes and proper sportsmanship are top priorities for all athletic programs at Fernandina Beach High School. We are proud of how our players, coaches, staff members, parents, and fans represent the Pirate community. They are all to be commended for their response to what could have escalated into something much worse.”
Tambasco said that given Byers’ age, he will likely be tried as an adult. He said he hopes something like this will never happen again for both teams.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
