Fans jump onto baseball fields all the time and television stations usually turn their cameras away from scene, arguing they don't want to encourage such activity by granting publicity. But one video has made it to YouTube -- of 17-year-old Steve Consolvi being tased as he ran around the filed at a Philadelphia Phillies game.
Authorities are examining the video to determine whether authorities used excessive force to stop the prank. And the boy's parents, in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, apologized for the incident. There's a nice succession of pictures on Philly.com.
Philadelphia police have at least for the moment backed the officer, though a spokesman for the department told The Inquirer that the take-down is under review and police are now pondering whether they should go onto the field at all, and instead let private security handle future incidents.
Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin takes issue with such a quick pronouncement. The Phillies Shane Victorino told The Inquirer's Bob Brookover: "I've seen guys go out there and juke for 10 minutes and run around and juke five, six security guards. We're out there to play baseball. I just want somebody to learn from this. Maybe next time someone will think twice because they don't want to get Tased."
Baltimore police do go onto the field at Camden Yards but I don't recall them ever tasing a fan. Once, back in July 1996, Matthew J. Noleman, then 21, ran onto the field and managed to dodge police and security for quite a while. Instead of chasing down a runner, police slowly box him in until he has no where to go.
But with Noleman, a frustrated police officer, Guy Thacker, tried to run him down singlehandedly. It was scene right out of Keystone Kops, with Thacker trying to run the guy down while his baffled colleagues stood around and watched, wondering why this officer wasn't following his training. Police eventually got their man, but they also provided the fans plenty to chear about toward the end of a 6-0 defeat to Toronto.
Back then, Thacker's boss, Lt. Donald E. Healy, explained that officers usually let the fans run "to avoid getting into a situation where you try to intercept them and you become part of the spectacle."
At least in Baltimore, the specctacle ended without anyone hurt.