LEWISBURG, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sixteen-year-old Addison Hunnicutt was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after running onto the field and tackling a player during a Middle Tennessee middle school football game Tuesday night. She said she was defending her younger brother from what her attorney describes as abuse on the field.
The game was played between South Middle School and Cornersville Middle School in Winchester.
Addison said she watched as another player grabbed her brother's face mask and slung him around several times. When she saw her brother hit in the ribs, she said she had seen enough.
"That's when I started to be like, no, I'm done watching this," Addison said.
Her mother, Elizabeth Chumbley, was also watching from the stands.
"I'm seeing my son on the ground being attacked," Elizabeth said. "This wasn't just a football play. This is him on the ground being physically attacked by this other player."
Addison said her intent was not to target the other player without cause.
"I wasn't going after this kid just to go after him," Addison said. "That wasn't my intention at all,"
She said inaction by others on the field pushed her to act.
"Seeing what they were doing to him and no one stopping it, that kind of made me the last choice. Somebody has to stop this," Addison said.
Elizabeth said she believes coaches should have intervened but acknowledged her daughter's actions were wrong.
"I made sure she understood quickly that her behavior, that was inappropriate, and you should not have jumped over the fence," Elizabeth added.
Addison's attorney, David McKenzie, said the charges go too far and that the broader context of the game matters.
"It's not just a one-minute clip. It's about the other 20 minutes of this game, what was going on this field, which prompted an otherwise fantastic little girl from a great family to enter the field," McKenzie said.
McKenzie believes Addison's brother was being mistreated.
"I believe her little brother was actually being abused on the football field. What the other player was doing wasn't football," McKenzie said.
He said the team plans to fight the charges and questioned whether criminal action was the appropriate response.
"Could there have been less restrictive measures that were utilized rather than have this poor girl get served with petitions from a juvenile court system? Absolutely," McKenzie said.
Addison said she hopes people understand what motivated her.
"I really do love him and I would do anything for him," Addison said.
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, game referees immediately halted play and cleared the field after the tackle. No injuries or additional disruptions took place. Addison was released into the custody of her parents following the investigation.
Beyond the criminal charges, Addison faces additional consequences. The Franklin County School System has permanently banned her from all district properties for life. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association has banned her from attending any Cornersville home or away athletic events for one year.
Marshall County Director of Schools Justin Perry, Ed.D., released a statement acknowledging the incident.
"It is acknowledged that we had an incident last night in which a spectator ran onto the football field and struck an opposing team player. The school and the district are cooperating with TSSAA and local law enforcement to the fullest extent," Perry said.
"We are deeply disappointed by the incident and remain committed to player, staff, and fan safety and a high level of sportsmanship. Since the spectator is a student in the Marshall County School System, the district cannot comment further."
South Middle School Principal Dr. Tara Brewer praised the response of staff and law enforcement.
"I am incredibly proud of how our coaches, players, and School Resource Officers handled the situation with swift professionalism and composure. The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We have already met with our coaching staff and SROs to review our gameday protocols and implement enhanced security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future," Brewer said.
The father of the 13-year-old player Addison tackled also responded publicly. In a Facebook post, he said his son did not deserve what happened and asked people to remember there is a real child and family behind the viral video. He also condemned hateful and racial comments being made online.
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