Blue Jays beer-thrower hit with criminal charges
The man allegedly responsible for throwing a beer can on the field during the American League wild-card game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles has been charged. Ken Pagan, who police identified in pictures following the incident, has been charged with one count of mischief for his actions, according to the Toronto Sun.
The incident occurred with two outs in the seventh inning of the AL wild-card game in Toronto. Blue Jays outfielder Melvin Upton hit a ball deep to left field, and as Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim went to make a catch, a can of beer landed just a few feet away from him.
Centerfielder Adam Jones was livid about the incident, yelling at umpires to eject the fan from the game. Manager Buck Showalter came out to speak with umps following the event. Security attempted to find the person who threw the beer, but the person left before security reached that section of the ballpark.
Police identified Pagan as a person of interest just hours after the game ended. Pagan contacted police after seeing his picture plastered all over the news and decided to turn himself in. At the time, Pagan seemed to suggest he was not the person responsible for throwing the can on the field, saying he was “drinking out of a cup.” He didn’t add more at the insistence of his lawyer.
When Pagan arrived at the police station Thursday, his lawyer, Tyler Smith, confirmed he had been charged with mischief. Pagan did not speak to the media as he entered the station, according to the Sun.
What is criminal mischief, you might be asking? The easiest way to describe it is intentionally damaging another person’s property. It is usually classified as a misdemeanor, though there are cases where it can be considered a felony in Canada. It has not been announced whether Pagan is being charged with a misdemeanor or a felony at this time.
Pagan is expected to appear in court Nov. 24.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
