Philadelphia Phillies Fan Tasered when He Runs Around the Field

On Monday May 3, 2010 a Philadelphia Phillies fan decided that he wanted to go onto the baseball diamond during the eight inning. The seventeen year old fan went over a fence a Citizens Bank Park. Initially police would not release his name because of his age, but he has since been identified as Steve Consvali. He had called his father to ask his permission to do this and his father told him that "It would not be a good idea". I will agree with his father on that. Unfortunately Steve decided that it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and decided to do it anyway.

The young many really should have been a running back because he did a great job at evading the security and police officers that were there. He also made them look pathetically out of shape. Finally one officer decided to pull out the taser and dropped him immediately. Consvali was able to leave the field under his own power. He is facing misdemeanor trespassing, resisting arrest, and public nuisance charges among others. There will be in an internal affairs investigation of the Philadelphia police officer involved to insure that the use of force was appropriate. Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey has stated that he fully supports the officer and that he believes that the officer acted appropriately.

In the aftermath of the young man being tastered many people will often say something like the person was only a kid or something like that. I do see that point and to an extent I do agree. The kid really was not threatening anyone and it appeared to be a prank. I am sure part of it was the police officer who used the taser was upset that they were too out of shape to catch the kid. The reality is that in this world that we live in there are many things that could happen. A terrorist could decide to have a bomb on him and detonate the bomb on the field or maybe even try to detonate the bomb. There is a player safety issue as well. Organized crime figures or anyone could arrange for a player to get hurt. While I personally would not have used the taser I do think the officer's decision was appropriate. As a police officer you often only get a split second to make a life or death decision.

Sources.

CBS News

ESPN Sports center

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhbG6CQSG7s