Cop Demoted for Umpire Retaliation

ALVIN, Texas (AP) â€” A police sergeant has been demoted to patrolman for retaliating against the umpire who threw him out of his son's baseball game. <br><br>After Randy Langston, 45, was ejected

Friday, June 9th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ALVIN, Texas (AP) â€” A police sergeant has been demoted to patrolman for retaliating against the umpire who threw him out of his son's baseball game.

After Randy Langston, 45, was ejected from his son's May 1 Pony League game following a heated argument over a close call at first base, he went home, put on his uniform, returned to the ballpark and waited for the game to end.

When the umpire, Terry Hessenflow, left the park in his car, Langston stopped him and gave him a warning ticket.

``The minute I left the ballpark, he pulled right behind us and I knew we weren't going to get out of Alvin without being cited for something,'' Hessenflow told the Houston Chronicle. ``This was all real juvenile over a baseball game.''

Langston is an assistant coach on his son's team in the community about 30 miles southeast of Houston.

Alvin Police Chief Mike Merkel, who demoted Langston to patrolman, on Thursday said he ``used poor judgment.''

Langston, a 23-year veteran of the police department who has held the rank of sergeant for 17 years, takes a $5,500 pay cut with his demotion and is on six months probation.

No criminal charge was filed against Langston, who declined to comment, but a report was forwarded to the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office.