Some fans really love their football team. It is not unusual for fans to become rowdy at a sports event, especially when a championship is dependent on the resulting score. With the Super Bowl around the corner, National Football League Eagles fans are excited and many rallied together before the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, one fan was arrested for an alleged assault on a police officer.
The 19-year-old man’s arrest occurred in the parking lots preceding the game between the Eagles and the Vikings. According to reports, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper was escorting the man away from a crowd of fans to leave the premises. The details of why the fan was required to leave are unknown. According to police, the young man pulled away from the trooper and removed his upper body clothes in the process.
The report also states that the man punched the officer’s horse twice, then struck the officer in the face. Another officer handcuffed the man and ended the altercation. Not only did he not get to watch his team play the game, but he must not deal with charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment.
No matter how minor they may seem, assault charges are taken seriously and can remain on a person’s record and affecting the individual’s future options. A savvy Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer will examine the evidence available and develop a defense strategy focused on achieving the best possible outcome. If a conviction cannot be avoided, negotiations can be made in the effort to reduce the charges or required punishment.
Source: NBC Philadelphia, “Assault Charges for Man Who Police Say Punched Police Horse During Eagles Tailgate“, Jan. 22, 2018
