OAKLAND – The former Messalonskee High head football coach who resigned last week was charged with assault Tuesday, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Wes Littlefield was summoned on a misdemeanor charge of assault, according to Capt. Rick Stubbert.

“Mr. Littlefield has been charged with assault stemming from an incident that occured at football practice on Sept. 19,” Stubbert said. “The victim was a student and a football player at Messalonskee High School.”

He wouldn’t release further details, citing a desire to protect the integrity of the case.

According to Maine’s criminal code, an assault occurs when “the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury or offensive physical contact to another person.”

Littlefield wasn’t charged with the more serious crime of aggravated assault, which occurs in cases involving “serious bodily injury, bodily injury with the use of a dangerous weapon, or injury under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

Littlefield, who declined comment, resigned as coach Thursday, the day after the incident.

He said at the time that it was “a little incident with a kid that was blown out of proportion.”

Littlefield held no teaching position with the Regional School Unit 18 district, according to the superintendent, Gary Smith.

Littlefield’s coaching contract was renewed on an annual basis for the length of the football season.

RSU 18 includes the central Maine towns of Oakland, Belgrade, China, Rome and Sidney.

Littlefield also owns Littlefield’s Gym in Oakland, where numerous football players are members.

Stubbert said that the length of the investigation was due to the large number of interviews that needed to be conducted.

A court date has been set for Nov. 20 in the Waterville District Court.

Stubbert said the case file will be given to the district attorney’s office sometime in the next few days.