A fight following a youth wrestling practice at Bellefontaine High School on Thursday, Dec. 26, resulted in assault charges against two women from Marysville.
Officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department were dispatched to the school around 4:30 p.m. after on a report of a physical altercation during the practice. Upon arrival, officers met a group of individuals exiting the wrestling room and began gathering statements.
According to witnesses, Kimberlee James, 35, and Mary Tullis, 66, both of Marysville, were involved in an altercation with another woman, identified as the victim.
The conflict reportedly began when James approached her son during the practice, despite a court order barring her from contact with her children because of a custody dispute. The victim reportedly began recording the interaction. This prompted James to knock the phone from the victim’s hand and strike her multiple times.
Witnesses, including the wrestling coach, stated that Tullis joined the fight, grabbing the victim’s finger and punching her in the face. The coach and other bystanders intervened to separate the parties.
The victim showed officers red marks and scratches on her face, neck and chest. She also provided a video recording of the initial moments of the altercation, which corroborated parts of her account.
While James and Tullis claimed they were attacked first, officers observed no visible injuries on either suspect.
James was arrested for assault and transported to the Logan County Jail, where she was booked without incident. Tullis was also arrested for assault but was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital due to medical concerns before being issued a summons to appear in court.
Police confirmed that statements from witnesses and video evidence supported the charges against the defendants. The case has been forwarded to Logan County Children Services for further review.