Heavy hit during Utah church game leads to child abuse charge

WOODS CROSS, Utah — A man who prosecutors say laid a heavy hit on a 13-year-old boy during a game of broom hockey in a church gymnasium was charged Tuesday with felony child abuse.

Ryan Reed Stettler, 37, of Woods Cross, is charged in 2nd District Court with child abuse, a third-degree felony.

Prosecutors contend that Stettler acted recklessly on March 6 when he inflicted a serious injury on a 13-year-old boy, leaving him with a concussion and broken elbow that will require surgery to repair, according to charging documents.

During a game of broom hockey, the 13-year-old ran into Stettler’s son, according to investigators. Later, Stettler “lowered his shoulder and ran toward the boy, knocking him down,” the charges state.

The boy told police that Stettler said something to the effect of, “You can dish it out, but you can’t take it,” according to the charges.

The boy was taken to a local hospital after the injury. Court documents do not specify the church where the boy was injured.

This article was originally published by KSL.com. It is used here with permission.