As of today, Sept. 23, we have not heard anything about any charges being filed involving a player being struck by a helmet during the Sept. 6 football game at Annville-Cleona High School.
During that game, a videotape shot by WGAL-8 clearly showed Hamburg quarterback/safety Joe Cominsky striking Annville-Cleona’s Josh Hartman twice with Hartman’s own helmet.
That video didn’t show any of what led to Cominsky doing what he did; it’s safe to say Cominsky didn’t just have an idea pop into his head to rip the helmet off Hartman’s head and then strike him with it twice before another A-C player — Taylor Prentice — tackled Cominsky. Whatever Hartman did to incite Cominsky certainly didn’t justify Cominsky’s actions.
Both Cominsky and Prentice were ejected from the game and were required by PIAA rules to sit out their next games on Sept. 13. Cominsky also sat out Hamburg’s 52-7 loss to Fleetwood Sept. 20, the Hawks’ first loss after three wins over Lebanon County opponents.
Hamburg officials have not said when or if Cominsky, who is a senior, will be allowed to play again.
And we still haven’t heard if Cominsky will face criminal charges, nor have we heard if Cominsky is 18 or is still a juvenile.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, some people who posted comments about it on public online chat forums demanded that the district attorney file charges.
Just one problem with that idea: District attorneys don’t file charges. Police file criminal charges and district attorneys prosecute them. In some cases police might consult with the district attorney regarding what charges to file, but it’s the police who make arrests and file charges with a district judge.
We’ll just have to continue waiting on South Annville Township police to take action. Four days after the incident, South Annville Police Chief Ben Sutcliffe said he might have to interview 100 or more people, (a comment that led some other local law enforcement officials to laugh/shake their heads).
So who knows how long this could take. Maybe Sutcliffe will decide that charges aren’t warranted, although that would be tough to swallow given what that videotape shows. One thing is certain: This investigation has already taken too long.
Follow along on Twitter @sesnyderleb.