The Cleveland Guardians beat the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of the Ohio Cup series Tuesday night. But it didn’t come without a little extra action.
Before the ninth inning, a Reds fan made his way onto the field of the Great American Ball Park.
Photos and video footage show the man running and smiling with his hands up before doing a backflip. Moments later, an officer can be seen deploying a stun gun to detain him.
The viral moment prompted the Cincinnati Police Department to release the following statement on X, formerly Twitter: “There has been extensive media coverage of an incident that occurred during last night’s Cincinnati Reds game at the Great American Ball Park.”
“A fan ran onto the playing field during the game and ran from police when officers attempted to stop him to prevent further disruption to the game or safety risks to players and ballpark staff,” the statement continues.
The fan was charged with criminal trespass and obstructing official business, police said.
While the department did not release his name in their public statement, NBC News and The Cincinnati Enquirer identified the man as 19-year-old William Hendon, with the latter obtaining an image of him in court on Wednesday.
The Enquirer reported that during the hearing Hamilton Municipal Court Judge William Mallory told Hendon: “Everybody thinks you landed that backflip.”
Hendon then replied, “I’m pretty sure I did.”
Nonetheless, the Cincinnati Police Department commended the officers for stopping the 19-year-old in his tracks.
“The officers’ quick response allowed the game to continue uninterrupted for the players and fans in attendance,” the department said.
The Guardians won the game 5-3. The second of the two-game series is Wednesday, June 12, in Cincinnati.
