A Nassau County jury delivered a split verdict in the trial of a Floral Park man accused of running onto a youth soccer field and striking an 11-year-old player during a game last fall.
Michael Stallone, a landscaper, was acquitted of third-degree assault, the top charge he faced, after jurors deliberated for about 90 minutes, according to published reports. He was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
Prosecutors said Stallone rushed onto the field during a Sept. 28, 2024, match between a SUSA soccer academy team and a girls under-12 team in the Long Island Soccer League, according to published reports. Based on testimony during the weeklong trial, the confrontation unfolded moments after the girl collided with a player from Stallone’s daughter’s team.
A seven-second video shown repeatedly in court captured the collision and Stallone’s subsequent intervention, according to Newsday.
The footage shows the girl in a light blue jersey collide with the opposing player, who falls to the ground. Stallone then enters the field and appears to shove the 11-year-old, who doubles over moments later.
Photos presented to jurors showed a red welt beneath the girl’s right eye. Prosecutors argued at trial that the injury was the result of Stallone’s actions on the field.
Defense attorney Marc Gann maintained that Stallone reacted instinctively after a game they described as increasingly physical, with other players having been taken out due to injuries, Newsday reported.
Gann could not immediately be reached for comment.
He contended the injury occurred during the players’ collision and that the video did not support the prosecution’s version of events.
The girl, her coach and her mother testified during the trial, recounting their shock as the confrontation unfolded, according to Newsday. Referees halted the game immediately, and Nassau County police later arrested Stallone on assault and endangerment charges.
Stallone’s wife pulled him off the field after the incident, according to testimony. The girl’s parents said she was shaken by the encounter and was initially reluctant to continue playing, though the defense said she has since returned to the sport.
Stallone faces up to a year in jail on the child endangerment conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 3.
