Rugby coach beaten with umbrella loses sight in one eye, charges say
By Pat Reavy
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SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — A Draper man has been charged with attacking a coach with an umbrella at a rugby tournament.
Takes Mafileo Vakapuna, 39, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, a second-degree felony.
A tournament by the Utah Rugby Academy was held at the Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex, 2280 N. Rose Park Lane, on July 27. A fight broke out at one of the games, and a coach tried to break it up, according to charging documents.
“During the altercation, Vakapuna struck (the coach) multiple times with an umbrella. (The coach) lost consciousness and use of his right eye from the altercation,” the charges allege.
The coach needed to have surgery on his eye, and more than two weeks after the incident was still unable to see out of it, according to the charges.
Police reviewed cellphone video of the attack and talked to one witness who saw the coach being hit “multiple times with an umbrella. (The coach) fell, and Vakapuna continued hitting (him) on the ground with an umbrella,” the charges say.
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