Booking information
Burbank police arrested 34-year-old Los Angeles resident Matthew Ware at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday inside AMC Burbank 16 and booked him for misdemeanor battery, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
Reported impact at the theater
CBS News Los Angeles reported that the incident occurred during a screening of “The Uprising,” approximately 30 to 40 minutes after it began. The outlet said an eyewitness described Ware confronting a moviegoer who was using a phone with the screen dimmed, asking him to turn it off, and then allegedly spraying him after he declined.
The spray also affected two other moviegoers, CBS News Los Angeles reported. Paramedics transported all three people to a hospital for treatment, and theater management offered refunds to patrons.
Venue and possible next steps
AMC Burbank 16 is located at 125 E. Palm Avenue and is operated by AMC Theatres. The available information identifies misdemeanor battery as the booking allegation; it does not establish whether prosecutors will add a separate charge based on the spray. The Burbank Police Department has not indicated how the case will proceed.
California Penal Code Section 22810, as reproduced by FindLaw, permits civilian tear-gas possession and use only for self-defense and makes non-self-defense use a public offense that may carry either misdemeanor or felony penalties. That provision describes possible legal exposure, not an additional charge filed against Ware.
