Eagan Man Charged with Punching Son After Basketball Game Pleads Not Guilty

An Eagan father who allegedly punched his son following a basketball game has pleaded not guilty to three separate criminal charges.

Steven Ohara Wilson, 52, was after allegedly holding his son's head with one arm while using the other arm to punch him after the boy's eighth-grade team lost in a basketball tournament at Lakeville High School.

But later that month, the Dakota County Attorney's Office also charged Wilson with one count of malicious punishment of a child and one count of neglect of a child, both gross misdemeanors. If convicted of either new charge, Wilson could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

Witnesses interviewed by police said Wilson began the fight without provocation and threw several punches at the boy in a high school hallway until several nearby parents intervened to break up the fight. Wilson also acted aggressively toward an intervening police officer, and was eventually handcuffed at the scene, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's office.

Wilson initially told police that he and his son had gotten into a disagreement following the game, and that his son had pushed him around during the altercation, according to the complaint. Wilson also claimed that a red mark on the side of his head and two broken fingers were the result of the fight with his son, the complaint said.

Wilson's last court appearance was earlier in May. A settlement conference in Wilson's case has been set for Oct. 17. If no agreement is reached, Wilson will likely proceed to a jury trial beginning Nov. 5.