17-Year-Old Phillies Fan Tasered By Security For Running Onto The Field

In the bottom of the eighth inning of last night’s Phillies-Cardinals game, a 17-year-old galloped onto the playing field, a scene that occurs not infrequently around Major League Baseball. What made this interruption unique -- other than the fact that he called to ask his dad permission before rushing the field -- was that security, for the first time, used a Taser to subdue the trespassing fan. Note that it’s not the first time that a Taser has been used at a ballpark by security, but only to stop this particular infraction.↵

↵↵The incident has prompted indignation about excessive use of force by the officer. The police department is in turn investigating the matter. It’s not groundless, of course. Tasers have been known to be as possibly fatal in some cases. While the device is obviously something issued to the officer, many would like to more justification for its use than the fact that security was having a difficult time corralling a disruptive but harmless young fan. Preferably, the fan would have to have been presenting some form of danger to another fan or possibly a player first. That was clearly not the case here.↵

↵↵Fortunately for all involved, the kid was fine and able to walk off the field under his own power soon after. All told, he might end up lucking out in this case. Instead of being just another idiot who ran onto the field, he gets to come off as the victim, which, even presumably might mean avoiding a fine or other types of punishment.↵

↵↵Video taken from the stands is after the jump. ↵

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