A Cincinnati Reds fan was arrested after being chased and tased by a police officer during the Cleveland Guardians-Cincinnati Reds game earlier this week.
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WBNS 10 reports that while the game was happening, 19-year-old William Hendon ran onto the outfield at Great American Ball Park. He was spotted talking to a Guardians player and doing a backflip before running away from the officer, who eventually tased him.
Of course, the entire incident was caught on video and posted online.
The Cincinnati Reds fan was arrested and booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday morning.
Hendon was charged with criminal trespassing and obstruction of official business. He pleaded not guilty in court and was released on an own recognizance bond. He is banned from the stadium for the time being. The Reds fan is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on July 3.
Following the outfield incident, the Cleveland Guardians beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3.
These photos of the fan who ran onto the field during Reds-Guardians game 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 12, 2024
He did a backflip before being tased by police
(📸: Andy Lyons) pic.twitter.com/U0TasgUUHc
Municipal Judge Tells Cincinnati Reds Fan ‘Everybody Thinks You Landed That Backflip’ During Court Appearance
During Hendon’s court appearance on Wednesday, Judge William Mallory commented on the Cincinnati Reds fan’s antics on the outfield.
“Everybody thinks you landed that backflip,” Judge Mallory told Hendon during his court appearance on Wednesday.
To which, Hendon replied, “I’m pretty sure I did.”
Hendon appeared in court while wearing a Reds jersey. Cincinnait.com reports that Judge Mallory reduced Hendon’s felony criminal trespass to a misdemeanor at the behest of prosecutors. This was due to Hendon being wrongly charged with a felony.
The media outlet further reported that Hendon is a sophomore at the Ohio State University. A social media post indicated that he is the grandson of Sylvia Sieve Hendon, a retired judge who served at Hamilton County before being elected to the Ohio First District of Appeals. Hendon’s grandfather was also present during the Wednesday morning hearing.
According to the criminal complaint made by an officer at the game, Hendon “did knowingly run onto the Reds playing field during the game without permission to do so.”
A court document also revealed that Hendon “purposely impeded a public official’s lawful duties and did with purpose to delay his arrest run from police.”
Judge Mallory stated in court, “You’re a star, Mr. Hendon, you got your 15 minutes of fame.”
Cincinnati Police Lt. Jonathan Cunningham revealed that the department will investigate the office’s use of a Taser to subdue Hendon. “The officers’ quick response allowed the game to continue uninterrupted for the players and fans in attendance.”