Phillies Teenaged Fan Tasered in the Outfield

By Shane Craver on May 4, 2010

Hotdogs, Peanuts and Crackerjacks mix with America’s favorite pasttime like Pancakes and Syrup. Guys running around on the playing field while portly security guards hook and jibe trying to catch nymph-like adversaries? That’s just about as fun and All-American as mustard on your hotdog.

But the fun dies when you throw in a bit of impatience and a taser gun.

That’s what happened in Philadelphia Monday night at the Phillies-Cardinals game when a quick-and-nimble 17 year-old rushed onto the field to cheer on his beloved Phillies.

After a minute of running around and in the outfield being chased by five blue-shirted security guard, the Phillies fan was tasered, falling flat on his face in front of stadium filled with families enjoying the game.

The crowd of 40,000 quickly turned from cheers for the young man to boos for the excessive use of force by a grumpy security guard.

The tasing incident has prompted an investigation by the police department. Nonetheless, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams defended the action telling a local Fox station that police, "had to do what they think is [best] in the moment, they're chasing this guy [and] he won't stop.”

So a guy, causing no harm but maybe a few laughs, deserved to be tasered because he was too fast for security guards?

While Philly DA Seth Williams firmly believes that the taser is a “good tool” for police, the same could be said for the use of a treadmill in training to subdue nimble 17 year-old baseball fans.