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Due to having two sons, both catchers, I feel an authority on malicious contact, ie I know it when I see it. If you are convinced that the contact was not malicious then it's your judgement. If the contact was not malicious, and the ball comes loose, then you have nothing. A head first slide is legal, although I would not advise anyone to slide head first into a catcher. A head first dive (you said he was not really sliding) at some portion of the plate uncovered is possible. Even if the catcher is standing on the plate, some part of it is uncovered because his feet ain't that big. A head first slide into a catcher is a good way to break a jaw bone, or lose some teeth.
It is a long repeated comment, that I would have to see it, but from what has been described, I have a poor head first slider and a catcher that can't hang onto the ball.
Now, in a different post on a similar subject I commented that I could call interference on the runner, and several on this board disagreed. So beit. But offensive interference "is an act...which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play" (from Fed) So if this runner interferes with the catcher with this bad legal slide while the catcher is making the play then I would rule him out. Again, my judgement on interference.
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