Should I help out a coworker/friend after this?

[Val Da Car]

Ok, I found out this afternoon that a coworker/friend of 4 years punched a Chicago area Sportscaster in Chicago suburbs


ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Sports broadcaster Chet Coppock was punched by a 25-year-old man Wednesday night as the two left Allstate Arena after a DePaul-Marquette men's basketball game, Rosemont police said.


Sports broadcaster Chet Coppock said he partly blames bartenders at Allstate Arena for a fight that led to him getting a black eye.

Coppock was punched by a 25-year-old man Wednesday night as the two left Allstate Arena after a DePaul-Marquette men's basketball game, Rosemont police said. Coppock was not covering the game at the time.

Coppock said he is considering a civil lawsuit, NBC5's Alex Perez reported.

"It was a mean, classless act," Coppock said. "I'm also brutally upset with Allstate Arena for clearly overserving this kid."

James Waldron, of Milwaukee, was arrested and charged with battery after the incident, according to Rosemont police Sgt. Keith Kania. Waldron has since posted bail and been released.

The incident happened after the game let out, although Coppock said he had noticed the man much earlier in the evening because he saw him behaving offensively. Coppock said Waldron was drunk and using vulgarities. When Coppock complained to Waldron, Coppock said the dispute carried into the parking lot.

As he was walking out of the arena with his girlfriend, Coppock said he and Waldron brushed against each other and the man began to "berate" him. Waldron continued to harass Coppock outside the arena, following him to his car, Coppock said. Police said Coppock was struck in the right eye.

"I got to my car, clicked open the door, put down my head for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I had just been labeled," Coppock said.

Coppock's girlfriend alerted security, who detained the man.

"The irony was is that I was sitting in the ambulance and they brought him over in handcuffs for me to ID him, and the first words out of his mouth were, 'I want to hit you again,'" Coppock said.

Coppock said his retina might have been damaged and that he had a CT scan at a hospital.

"He decked me with one blind shot,'' Coppock said. "He threw a punch I never saw.''

Coppock said he does not know whether the man recognized him. Waldron did not immediately return a phone call.


Link to story and online pics/interview.

http://www.nbc5.com/news/11031486/detail.html


Unknown to everyone he lost his father to a heart attack right around the Holidays.

Should I call him to lend a supporting hand or let it be?

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

If you're going to call and support your punch happy pal, you might want to ask why he was drunk and making a scene of himself at a basketball game. Get him help cos this sorta stuff is kinda unacceptable. :whip:

[Tycho]

What the heck? This is one of the more bizzare stories I've come across.

Yes you can offer support. As someone who lost both their parents, I appreciated others' friendly concern - and even moreso when it was so many of you from this site when I was in the hospital hanging on myself.

I wouldn't discuss the basketball game with him at all though. That was idiotic of your friend - and irrational. It sounds like you don't know him THAT well, so your offer of support need not be something where you make too grand of commitment. However, don't be suprirsed if the guy just needs someone to listen to him - so make the call when you have time for a lengthy conversation, just in case. (but you can keep things brief on your end)

If he brings up the game, you might just listen to satisfy your own curiousity, but don't offer to get involved in that. It's his mistake to straighten out. So I wouldn't pry into it, and if he asks your opinion about it, I'd just say that you didn't call to discuss the case.

Unless there are really unusual circumstances concerning whatever prompted his actions and why he drank so much and then let loose, he doesn't sound like the type of friend you need to have. I understand you need to work alongside this guy, but you might keep it limited to that.

[Val Da Car]

Wow, Thanks for the quick responses so far.

I do agree that mentioning the game would be dumb.

I have gone out with him and tipped a few beverages but he is not an "Angry" drunk, and I have met my share of the angry ones.

As for the local sportscaster he punched I have no idea if he knew who he assaulted. But he hasn't come into work and I was also disappointed about the other coworkers that thought this was funny.

[Kidhuman]

Dude, if you listened to Chet Coppick, you know he deserved that punch.


Secondly, if he refused to help people because of their wrong doings, no one would get help.

[JediTricks]

I'd say try to be supportive for your friend without taking his side and making him think he was somehow justified. Don't push too hard though, if he doesn't want your support it can't be foisted upon him, it just won't take and then will only strain your relationship. Telling people who are in the wrong that they're somehow right doesn't help them address their poor behavior and bad choices.

[2-1B]

You should disown him for being a Marquette fan. ;) I'm kidding about that...kind of. :D

Really though, with all due respect (actually none due for behavior like this), your friend acted like a POS. No way around it. I am sick and tired of violence and I've seen guys like this out before and they make me sick. Is it too much to ask to not go around slugging people? So what if this guy is some loser reporter, unless he's intimidating someone or their loved loves, he doesn't deserve to get hit. I'm not sympathetic over the loss of his father, I mean that is of course sad in its own right but related to this, I don't see an issue. Every day there are obituaries printed all over the country of family members who die and I don't hear about the same number of people getting drunk and acting like bullies.

I'm not saying you shouldn't support him, by all means if he is your friend then you should try to help him but you also shouldn't have to gloss over what he did. I think it's okay to express your disappointment at what he did and that you disapprove of his behavior. Good luck with this. :(

[bobafrett]

I hate Chet Coppick, but I don't know that he deserved to get punched. What kind of help are you looking to give your friend, if I may ask? Bail money? Witness at his court hearing stating he isn't an angry drunk? A ride to his court hearing?

I heard this story on the radio, and some of the DJ's here were laughing about it. I think it's cool that I know a guy who is friends with the dude who threw the punch!

[Val Da Car]

In my case, Help would be specifically someone to listen to him if he wanted to talk.

Bail Money = He is an adult his responsibility
Court = I would be a character reference if needbe. ( I have been out drinking with him and I have gotten rowdy in a fun way but not thrown a punch at anyone.).

[JediTricks]

In my case, Help would be specifically someone to listen to him if he wanted to talk.This is a tough situation, being an open ear without responding to what you're hearing will likely give the impression that you approve of his behavior and thus won't really be helping him out. I think you have to decide how solid your friendship is, if it's not strong enough to withstand you telling him what you think, then it's probably best to just back off.

[Tycho]

Then he can offer to listen if he wants, but hope he's not called on the offer.

If he is, ask permission from this guy to give your opinion, even if it is not what he wants to hear. Chances are, if he's remorseful, you won't have to do any of the talking about it and he'll know where you stand, but be thankful someone is paying attention to him afterall.

If not, stay away.

[Luuuuuuke]

Support your friend but not what he did because that won't do him or anyone else any good.

I'm not a big fan of Chet Coppok but I'm pretty sure he didn't deserve to get punched. I'm actually a big fan of Colin Cowherd--though to be honest, he deserves to be punched sometimes:D

[Kidhuman]

I love Colin. He beats out Rome for best radio talk show and I agree, he does deserve a punch as does Rome sometimes.