Youth football coach seen striking player to face child abuse charges in Florida, official says

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A Georgia youth football coach who was seen in a viral video earlier this week smacking one of his players to the ground will be charged with child abuse, Florida authorities said Friday.

Gerrell Williams was the coach of the Savannah Gators youth football team, which was playing in the American Youth Football national championships in Kissimmee, Fla., this week when a video showed the man striking one of his players. The parents declined to press charges, but authorities stepped in.

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“The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office along with our local state attorney’s office have reviewed this case and the decision has been made that charges for child abuse will be filed, regardless of parent’s decision not to press charges,” Maj. Jacob Ruiz said in a statement. “The actions of this person are despicable and there is zero-tolerance when it comes to the abuse of a child.”

American Youth Football banned Williams for life from the organization. He also was prohibited from being on the sideline for the rest of his team’s games. He was also let go as a counselor at the Chatham County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office detention center.

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“Earlier this week, AYF tournament officials were provided with cell phone video of a 9U coach -- Gerrell Williams -- behaving in complete breach of the AYF Code of Conduct. The video was provided to AYF the morning after the incident and was turned over to the Osceola County Sheriff (Florida),” the AYF said in a statement to Fox News, adding that Williams was banned for life from any of its events.

The coach allegedly involved in the incident is said to have issued an apology in a Facebook Live video posted on a woman’s account.

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“I’m gonna apologize for my actions … At the end of the day, I am a man," the coach said. "I aint gonna make no excuses for what I did. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have disciplined him … hit him in public. I shoulda waited ‘til we got back. At the end of the day, I apologize to him, the kids, the city … and my family back at home. I do apologize. There’s no excuse for my actions. He forgave me and his parents have forgiven me, so nobody else should be bashing me."