Legal Fallout and Community Reaction
A jury in South Carolina has cleared Austin Bowers of public disorderly conduct stemming from a heated baseball game at Pee Dee Academy earlier this year.
The incident, which unfolded on March 25, 2024, began when a spectator attempted to intervene with an umpire after the final out, prompting law enforcement to step in and restore order.
Video footage captured a Marion County school resource officer, identified as George Edwin Page, deploying a stun gun on a 17‑year‑old player who had inadvertently stepped on the officer’s foot with his cleats. The forceful response quickly escalated, drawing gasps from onlookers.
Page, a 64‑year‑old deputy, was subsequently charged with third‑degree assault and battery, while Kathryn Jean Atkinson, 44, faced a breach of peace charge for yelling obscenities and interfering with deputies during the melee. Both cases remain pending.
Although Bowers was acquitted, the episode has left a lingering imprint on the local sports community, prompting discussions about crowd control protocols and the use of electronic weapons by school officials.
The school district announced that Page has been reassigned to administrative duties while the investigation proceeds, and authorities have indicated that the case remains ongoing.