Death Threat Caller Needs to Remember It’s Just a Game

One Caledonia family is wondering if another family is taking youth basketball just a little too seriously.

Caledonia police were called at 12:57 a.m. Friday to a home in the 5800 block of Autumn Train where the residents reported they had received a threatening phone call.

Officers say the phone call came across as “restricted” to one of the adults’ cell phones. When they answered the phone, the caller said they were outside the house and were going to kill the family. The female resident hung up and called police while the male resident checked outside. 

Police arrived on scene and also checked the area but didn’t see anyone suspicious lurking around the property and there weren’t any vehicles in the vicinity either.

The couple told responding officers the man is a youth basketball coach at a local school, and they have had a conflict with another family who is angry with the man for not playing their child enough. The situation did escalate to the point where the school had to get involved, according to police reports.

Officers advised the couple that it would take a subpoena to get the cell phone provider to release any records, but the woman said she would press charges if the person can be located. The couple would not give police the name of the family with whom they have the conflict.