Lesson from Cincinnati Police Overreaction to Reds Fan Who Flips

The epic shock the 19-year-old Ohio State sophomore received when a Cincinnati police officer used a Taser on him after the rollover is infamous for what it says about the violence in this country.

Riley Crabtree is a Columbus Dispatch reviewnot to writer and student at the University of Miami.

An epic turnaround on the field at Great American Ballpark made Reds fan William Hendon an instant legend last week.

The epic shock the 19-year-old Ohio State sophomore received when a Cincinnati police officer used a Taser on him after the rollover is infamous for what it says about the violence in this country.

The flip and shake went viral. Hendon garnered memes, T-shirts and even admiration from Municipal Court Judge William Mallory who said, “Everyone thinks you nailed that backflip.” »

Hendon did indeed land the backflip, as well as a felony for criminal trespass, which was later reduced to a misdemeanor, and another misdemeanor for obstruction.

Although I can only somewhat imagine the state of mind of a 19 year old “boy”, I was stunned to see the expression on his face as Hendon’s face faded in pain after being shocked with a Taser during the Reds-Guardians game. I wouldn’t say boys my age don’t make stupid decisions, but shocking Hendon with a Taser went too far.

A funny mistake with less funny consequences

Hendon made a decision that I’m sure he knew would have consequences. As Judge Mallory said, he got his 15 minutes of fame, but at what cost?

The boy – and I emphasize boy because Hendon is a 19-year-old and his brain is not yet fully developed like a man’s – made what I would consider an amusing mistake.

Thinking about the “why” of Hendon’s decision to sprint onto the ballfield – even deciding to chat with a player – he probably wanted to feel the excitement of the stadium, maybe even wanting to do something a little risked when he was young.

Does that require being shocked with a Taser, arrested, held in jail, wrongly accused of a crime, multiple criminal charges, and a lifetime ban from the stadium? Absolutely not. I can understand the misdemeanors, but the felony charge on top of being shocked with a taser is questionable.

Why is violence at the forefront of our concerns?

Why do we always resort to violence against quote-unquote “criminals”?

What the police should have done, something they have failed to do in similar situations in the past, such as “Don’t tase me bro”, is try to manage the situation – a truly non-threatening situation at that – without resorting to violence.

The situation was funny.

Use of force under investigation during arrest of fan who crashed Reds game, police say

Maybe a handful of fans or players were a little upset by the unwelcome interruption, but overall I bet the majority of fans found the situation comical. What harm was Hendon really causing?

Arresting him was understandable, but not in the way the police went about it.

Police have launched an investigation into the use of the Taser to arrest Hendon.

Why is violence so often the answer?

The situation raises another question: Are those committed to protecting people acting too harshly in the face of a threat?

The number of people shot by police continues to rise each year. Even in prison systems, we see horrific treatment of inmates. More than 219 people died in Ohio prisons alone between 2020 and 2023, and 75.3% of them were not convicted.

All these statistics, these situations, come from a lack of real concern for the safety of all. Where is the promised safety for a non-violent offender? Hendon, although his example is on a smaller scale, is part of a deeper trend of guards taking their duties too far.

I don’t condone someone running across a professional baseball field during a game, especially since the price is usually a criminal charge and hefty fees. However, I think the police acted too harshly towards Hendon.

Eventually, an officer, whether on the other side of the field or the one chasing him, would have caught him.

Places like Great American Ball Park are filled with security personnel on almost every corner during games. Hendon would have eventually been caught, and he could have been arrested without the violent shock of a Taser or tackle.

Hendon getting hit with a Taser in the middle of the field is just one example of how guards choose to incite violence when it’s not necessary.

We must change the way we interact with criminals, especially those who are unarmed, non-violent, or non-threatening.

Riley Crabtree is a Columbus Dispatch reviewnot to writer and student at the University of Miami.