By Mona Austin
SUMMARY: An African American community in Dallas is in mourning after people attending a pee-wee football game witnessed a fight between grown ups tat led to te death of a well-respected coach.
Little league coach Mike Hickmon was shot and killed at a youth football game in Lancaster, TX after adults tempers falred over a bad call. A fight between staff and officiants of opposing teams stemmed from a dispute about who won a game played by team members 9-year-olds and under. Hickman, 43 was caught up in the scuffle.
Aqib Talib, a former pro football cornerback, and his brother Yaqub Talib both allegeldy got physical in the blow up. Gun shots rang out during the fight. Spectators identified 39-year-old Yaqub as the gunman. As Dallas police were seeking his arrest on suspicion of murder, he turned himself in on Monday, August 15.
The suspect had an arrest record that indluded a 2021 charge for unlawful possession of a weapon. He was also previously charged with child negligience and striking a pregnant convenience store employee following an argument over a cigar.
"They took a great, a great person who wanted to help the community and wanted to better us as people," said coach Heith Mayes, a friend of te deceased. "Always happy, upbeat, good father, good husband, always stood up for what's right. It's just very tragic." He added that some of the children at the event were traumatized from witnessing the violence.
Video of the incident captured a group of adults exchanging blows and a short while after the sound of rapid gunfire. The beloved coach was pronounced dead after being transported to a local medical facility.
Hickmon's family issued the following statement about their tragic loss to CBS-11 in Dallas:
"We would like to thank everyone for the onslaught of loved we've received. Mike was an amazing husband, son, father, grandfather, brother, friend and coach.
Our family is grieving. Right now we don't see an end to our grief. But what I know for sure is...we will find a way to move forward. We don't have a choice. We miss him immensely. We always will. We will love him forever."
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