18-Year-Old Man Arrested For Allegedly Hitting Patrons With Sex Toy During WNBA Game
The arrest occurred during the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Suns game on August 5, making it the sixth time a WNBA game has been interrupted this season by disruptive fan conduct.
Police Arrest An 18-Year-Old Man In Arizona After Allegedly Throwing A Sex Toy During A WNBA Game
According to Fox 10 Phoenix, Arizona authorities arrested Kaden Lopez at PHX Arena after they claimed he threw a sex toy in front of him, striking game watchers.
Police said video footage captured Lopez retrieving a "green d-ldo from his sweater front pocket" before tossing it forward.
Witnesses told authorities that they followed Lopez out of the arena before tackling him, essentially forcing him to wait for police to arrive on the scene.
Police also told Fox 10 that they spoke with the victim, who expressed his displeasure with Lopez's alleged actions.
"The adult male victim was interviewed. He stated he was watching the WNBA game with his 9-year-old niece, when something hit his back and then fell to the ground next to them. He then realized the object that hit him was a d-ldo. He desires prosecution," the legal documents stated.
Lopez was reportedly apologetic and said he foolishly took part in a "stupid prank that was trending on social media."
The 18-year-old was booked into a Phoenix jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault, and public display of sexual material.
Another Man Was Arrested For Displaying Sexual Conduct At A WNBA Game
The alleged incident involving Lopez isn't the first time the WNBA has addressed fan conduct of this nature. In fact, over the last several weeks, there has been an influx of sexual material inside arenas.
The first reported incident occurred during the Golden State Valkyries game against the Atlanta Dream. The following day, another d-ldo was tossed onto the court during the Valkyries' contest against the Chicago Sky.
According to USA Today, the WNBA identified the subject involved in the first incident as Delbert Carver, 23, who was later arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass.
The WNBA Responds To The Flying Objects
The WNBA later released a statement following the multiple instances of flying objects.
"The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league," the league said.
"Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities."
Players And League Officials Condemn The Behavior
And the WNBA isn't alone in its frustration with what's been occurring inside arenas.
Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynee Roberts called it "ridiculous ... dumb ... [and] stupid."
"It's also dangerous. Player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid," she said.
Chicago Sky player Elizabeth Williams called it "super disrespectful."
"I don't really get the point of it. It's really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up," she continued.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham spoke about the dangers it presents, while New York Liberty player Isabelle Harrison called on arena security to step up their efforts.
"Hello??! Please do better. It's not funny. never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous," Harrison posted.
Some Players Are Trying To Find The Positives
Meanwhile, some WNBA players are trying to find the positives amid the current situation. For example, Aces player Sydney Colson created an Instagram account, "The Official Mean Green," poking fun at the matter.
Another player, Theresa Plaisance, also chimed in about the situation during a recent podcast and said, "The WNBA is making headlines for something completely out of the green. For balls that we're not used to seeing on WNBA courts."
Colson jokingly called the situation a "nightmare" before saying "the mean green was catapulted onto the court from the stands during live action."
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