An Ohio man, Charles Burgess, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault after allegedly throwing a sex toy at a WNBA game in New York, which reportedly struck a 12-year-old girl in the stands, according to Cleveland19. The incident occurred on August 5th during a game between the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty. Burgess, who drove from Ohio to surrender voluntarily, pleaded not guilty and intends to "vigorously fight these embellished and exaggerated charges," said his lawyer, Paul D'Emilia, in a statement obtained by Spectrum Local News. Surveillance footage seems to have failed to clearly capture anyone being hit by the object.
This arrest marks at least the third in a series of similar disruptions across WNBA arenas, where spectators have attempted to disrupt games by throwing sex toys onto the court. The occurrences, which have happened during games in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Chicago, have resulted to cause delays and concern among players and fans alike. As reported by Sky News, the league has condemned these actions, warning that individuals involved will be ejected and face a minimum one-year ban from games.
Further incidents detail an 18-year-old, Kaden Lopez, was arrested in Phoenix after a prank that he claimed was supposed to go viral on social media. Lopez was tackled by a volunteer at the arena who had witnessed the act and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has since recommended that misdemeanor charges be submitted to the Phoenix city prosecutor. Additionally, a 23-year-old named Delbert Carver was arrested in Georgia for similar altercations at Atlanta Dream games, facing charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, public indecency, and indecent exposure.
Media reports suggest that the disturbances might be connected to a group involved in a cryptocurrency meme coin. The WNBA has reiterated its stance on the matter, assuring that it will not tolerate such disruptive behavior at its events. During one such incident, a sex toy almost struck Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, highlighting potential risks to player safety due to these thrown objects.
