In the wake of a death threat a Lincoln High School basketball coach received, the Jersey City school district and police department plan to beef up security for the team’s games, officials said.
The coach, whose name is not being published because he is the victim of a crime, told police Monday night that he was assaulted outside the school by a masked man holding a crowbar. The man pulled the coach out of his car, threw him to the ground and threatened to kill him if he didn’t increase the playing time of upperclassmen on the team, police said.
“You need to start playing the seniors for two minutes a quarter or I’m going to kill you,” the suspect told the coach, a police report indicates.
Today, a spokeswoman for the Jersey City Public Schools said the district is ramping up security for the team’s games.
“Additional security for the coach before, during and after games is being provided until it is no longer needed,” district spokeswoman Maryann Dickar said in an email to The Jersey Journal.
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, which took place on Brinkerhoof Street shortly before 8:20 p.m.
“The detectives continue to interview people and are reviewing video and are assessing the school’s needs with regard to added security,” Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said in an email to The Jersey Journal today.
When reached by phone Thursday, both the coach and Lincoln High School Athletic Director Keith Price declined to comment on the incident.
While the school district is providing extra security for Lincoln basketball games, it’s unclear whether the district will hire additional off-duty police officers for when the team plays. The Board of Education typically hires off-duty police officers to help with security at local high school sporting events.
Jersey Journal staff writer Caitlin Mota contributed to this report.
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