What should have been a low‑key tee‑ball night in Blackwell ended with families ducking for cover on Wednesday, after a parking‑lot fight near the B Street Ball Fields escalated into gunfire and three people being taken into custody.
Police say the trouble started just as folks were wrapping up at the ballfields and heading to their cars.
Around 6:40 p.m., Blackwell police began getting a flood of 911 calls about a brawl and shots fired in the parking lot across from the B Street Ball Fields, according to KOKH. Officers arrived to find a large crowd streaming away from the game, and investigators say the melee kicked off when parents walked out of a tee‑ball matchup and started fighting.
Arrests and charges
Investigators told the station that what started as a sideline feud spilled into the lot and quickly turned physical. Authorities ultimately arrested Mattea Ball, Bethany Jacobs and Deandra Morris‑McNeill on complaints that include assault and battery, reckless conduct with a firearm, assault and battery with a deadly weapon and accessory to a felony after the fact, according to KOKH.
It was not the kind of postgame drama anyone expected from a tee‑ball evening in a small Oklahoma town.
Local context
Blackwell baseball has seen tempers flare before. In 2023, a game involving the Blackwell Flycatchers drew law enforcement after benches cleared and a fight broke out on the field, according to the Blackwell Journal‑Tribune. That earlier dust‑up underscored how quickly small‑town ballpark emotions can spill from the diamond into the stands and parking lots.
Police follow‑up
Investigators are asking anyone who saw Wednesday’s incident or captured it on video to contact the Blackwell Police Department. The department’s website also encourages residents to register their private security cameras so officers know where to turn when they need potential footage.
The Blackwell Police Department can be reached at 580‑363‑5490 for tips and to report video evidence related to the case.
