Theater of the absurdTeen fan tasered by Phillies security after running onto field during game
A 17-year old boy hopped onto the field in the eighth inning of a Phillies-Cardinals game; he fled security for a few seconds until a Philadelphia police officer fired a Taser gun at the boy from about 15-feet away, dropping him on the spot in left-center field
It was not the voltage but the amps this young Philllies fan felt on Monday night in Philadelphia. In the eighth inning of a Phillies-Cardinals game, a 17-year-old boy hopped a fence at Citizens Bank Park. He fled security for a few seconds until a Philadelphia police officer fired a Taser gun at the boy from about 15-feet away, dropping him on the spot in left-center field (see video of the taser incident here).
The Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to this young man’s dad on Tuesday morning and reports that the kid actually called his father to ask for permission before running on the field. The dad told him it was not the best of ideas, but the future Penn State student went ahead and did it anyway. He is being charged as a juvenile for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and defiant trespass. “He wasn’t drinking. He was not on drugs,” the father said.
Yahoo! Sports’s David Brown writes that the Philadelphia police commissioner, meanwhile, is publicly supporting the officer’s actions. The Phillies, however, say they want to talk about whether or not such force is necessary for future trespassers.
The Associated Press reports that Phillies spokeswomen Bonnie Clark said the police department is investigating the matter and discussing with the team whether using the stun gun was appropriate.
Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore told the Philadelphia Inquirer police internal affairs will open an investigation to determine if the firing “was proper use of the equipment.”
