Fan at Jets/Colts Game Claims Police Threatened to Arrest Him if He Didn't Give Up Ball That Went in the Stands

It is not uncommon to hear about fans getting arrested at a game at MetLife Stadium--or any other stadium for that matter. These days it is not unusual to hear about fans getting rowdy, fighting or drinking too much and needing to be arrested--but because they refused to give up a ball that ended up in the stands?

According to the story one Reddit user posted--yes.

@nyjetscenter

This is the tale that Reddit user 'barbaq' posted to the NFL sub-reddit Thursday night. He and a friend had gone to the Jets/Colts game and at one point an attempted field goal goes wide and the ball ends up in the stands:

"...Tonight a field goal goes wide. He catches the ball..

Ushers come and try to snag the ball they wrestle with it like a fumble.. Slim chance.. He played four years at full back for Mount Union.. Security tells the usher to back off and they try to sweet talk my friend. They explain he has to give it up and he'll be compensated. They explain it'll be a ball of equal value. My friend says 'I'm not a Jets fan, I just want the ball. I like the Colts, it was kicked by the Colts, i want it.

About that time a State trooper comes up from the field and taps my friend with a batton and says 'give up the ball or we have to arrest you.' My friend was finally raddled. He asks the trooper to repeat what he said. The trooper collapses his baton and says 'You have to give up the ball or we arrest you. You can't leave with it, we'll just arrest you here.'..."

There is actually an NFL policy that anytime a ball goes in to the stands because of action on the field that it must be retrieved. Players are allowed to give balls to fans or keep them themselves after a big play, but they are charged by the league for them.

So because of the policy I can see the ushers trying to get the ball back from the dude, but maybe the police did not need to react as they did and used a little more tact instead. As for the baton--yeah, he only tapped him with it, but I can see where he thought it was going to get used on him if he didn't give the ball up.

But the story gets better. Apparently some additional drama occurred which 'barbaq' shared once he got home:

"After the situation my friend went to speak with someone from the Jets. He wanted to inquire about their policy and why the usher was so agressive, and why the state trooper drew his baton. He was lead to another area. I wasn't with him for this but he explained that he was told that the usher was filing a report against him for assault. My friend was then told he couldn't leave by a state trooper, essentially placed under arrest, until he could talk to somebody else. He then talked to a head of security and they accused him of being intoxicated and violating stadium code of conduct. They tried to get him to sign a notice of ejection, he did not sign, he was then free to leave."

Assuming this is true--way to enhance the fan experience MetLife Stadium. If there isn't enough action on the field your personnel will create it in the stands.




[Reddit]

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