Fan Tased in Philadelphia
Printer-friendly versionOne major story going around the sporting universe is about the May 3rd incident at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 17-year-old Steven Consalvi attended the Phillies vs. Cardinals game and decided to run onto the field because he thought of it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Consalvi called his dad prior to jumping onto the field telling him about his plan and his dad didn’t think that it was a good idea. Consalvi’s father’s opinion didn’t stop him.
Consalvi jumped onto the field right before the eighth inning and ran around in circles while waving a white towel in the outfield. He was on the field for about 10 seconds before he was being frantically chased by five security guards and police officers.
The officers tried all they could at the time to have him stop, but it got to the point where they were chasing him and there was no stopping him. In the background the Phillies players were hiding their faces behind their gloves and laughing.
One Philly officer decided the best thing to do was to taser Consalvi, and he did. The fan was down for about 30 seconds face-first in the turf until he was able to get up and be escorted by many officers off of the field and eventually out of the stadium for questioning and, eventually, an arrest.
Many think that the local Philly police officer was wrong for pulling out the taser while others think that was the best decision. Ever since the 2002 White Sox-Royals incident when first base coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by two citizens who ran onto the field, field security became a lot more aggressive and strict.
Fans that were watching the game felt that it was too extreme for the cop to taser Consalvi, especially during what is considered a family event with many children in the stands. They also feel as if the security did not try hard enough to talk to Consalvi and instead just chased him around.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey examined the video of the arrest and said that the officer that shot him acted within the department’s guidelines, which said officers are allowed to use tasers to arrest fleeing suspects. He also mentioned how police officers are trained to use their guns only when it’s absolutely necessary. The players, coaching staff, and venue workers agree with Ramsey on this statement. They feel as if Consalvi was not going to lie off so the best way to deal with him was to use the taser followed by the arrest.
People must take into notice that this is not the only event that has happened recently on the Citizens Bank Park soil. The Consalvi stint was the second of the third that happened within this season. A couple games before this there was a New Jersey man who was charged after he intentionally vomited on his daughter and an off-duty police officer. Then, the very next game after the taser, a 34-year-old man sprinted onto the field in the ninth inning.
The city of Philly is known for having the most dedicated and outrageous sport fans when it comes to any of its sports, whether it is hockey, football, or baseball. Have fans started to go too far? Did Consalvi deserve to be tasered? That can only be answered by your own judgment.
