Viral Arrest Video Catches Police Tasering, Clubbing Unruly Baseball Fan
- Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:34am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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It’s a question that arises every time video of a violent arrest video surfaces: How much force is too much force? It’s the question some are asking after video surfaced of police in Pittsburgh tasering and clubbing an unruly baseball fan over the weekend. But when you hear that the man was making death threats, the cries of brutality are more subdued.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review explains what happened in the video:
Scott J. Ashley, 41, of Friendship was arrested at Saturday’s Pirates game and charged with four misdemeanors, including public drunkenness and resisting arrest.
The video shows two officers taking at least six swings at a man meeting Ashley’s description, first Tasering him to little effect before clubbing him in the neck, head, side and legs before he is eventually cuffed on the concourse floor.
This is the video*:
“We both feared for our safety,” city detective Francis Rende, apparently one of the offices involved, wrote in a criminal complaint filed yesterday. And apparently he had good reason. According to Rende’s complaint, Ashley threatened to kill someone who stood up to him:
Rende wrote that Ashley had refused to comply at his seat, even asking police to move out of his way so he could see the game. He then began inciting the crowd, according to Rende, and the crowd started chanting “USA!” which can be heard on the video.
The violence began when Ashley, once down the steps, tried to high-five another fan. A park staff member then appears to put his arm up to try and block the high-five, and Ashley responds by elbowing that man, whom the police report names as Travis Skibiel. It does not give Skibiel’s affiliation, but says Ashley then threatened to kill Skibiel if he ever sees him again.
That’s when the tasering and the clubbing started. Officers can be seen striking Ashley several times, once in the neck, after Ashley is unaffected by the taser. Finally, after a scuffle, they subdue him. But despite the arrest, Rende believed their safety was still in danger due to the unruly crowd that had gathered and were chanting “USA!” in reference to Ashley’s red, white, and blue jacket.
“We were being surrounded by the drunked fans and finally got the actor up and took him to the security office,” Rende wrote. “All the while facing the wrath of a very hostile crowd.”
A city spokeswoman declined to comment because she had not reviewed the police reports.
Get more details from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
*The original video posted with this story was removed. We have found the original from the blog countingbaseballs.com and posted it. You can read more details about the incident from countingbaseballs.com.
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Comments (221)
stefooch
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:08amIf you’re being escorted out of the stadium…picking a fight along the way is not a good idea.
Report Post »orangeelephant
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:16amStefooch…That just makes to much sense. The cops should have called in a psycologist to explain to them why this mans anti social behavoir is really a cry for help and instead of beating him they should try to reason and understand him.
Report Post »cap0ne
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:08amI love it when the Gestapo uses the “I feared for my life” defense.. Yes sir, 99 yo granny with a cane was waving it frantically at me and “I feared for my life”. I then pulled out my pistol and shot ole granny between the eyes!!yeehaa!!
Report Post »Sister_Mary
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:07amGlad I paid my $200 to take my kids to see a game … NOT !!! I will not waste my money on this crap …
Report Post »Entropy
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 3:29amIf you paid $200 to take your kid to a baseball game, you got screwed.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:05amJust like Rome if regimes controll sports they controll society. Its a willfull breakdown to get to a point when government has to step in. Think about it who benifits more from an NFL Lockout.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:05amGood thing he wasnt black. It would be all over the news as a racial beating and there would be riots. Al the race baiter sharpton would be all over it etc etc.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:48amWOW great minds and all that….haha
Report Post »SIHKS1120
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:26am@charles very true but these cops have got to use better judgment they get a bad rap as it is…
Report Post »Marty
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:01amWOW, over kill!!! this is way cops suck.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:46amNO WAY MARTY! The cops did what they had to do to remove this idiot from the rest of the fans. If this kind of behavior were allowed to continue, nobody could take their family to a sporting event anywhere. Numbskulls like this ruin the expeerience for the rest of the fans. OH, and by the way, after absorbing numerous tazes and blows, it is obvious he was on far more than beer. He was a threat to everyone around him.
Report Post »GayDem4Beck
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:01amWhat groups of people do you hang around with ? Almost everyone I know, appreciates and supports law enforcement. I bet you would feel differently if this idiot was making death threats and cries of brutality to/at your family.
Report Post »concealled9mms
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 6:35pmyou sound like you need protection when i saw your name go back to frisco fool
Report Post »NeoKong
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:54amWow…that taser didn’t do a damn thing and he shrugged off the billy club fairly easily.
Report Post »He fought the law and the law won.
drago
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:53amIf you watch closely, at the 1:15 mark the guy lunging at the officer hopping over the rail, real tough people in pittsburgh, pathetic…….
Report Post »mtnclimberjim
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:52amIt’s all unions. Down to the sports and cops. Nice mess we made
Report Post »rightwingheroes
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:52amThe weirdest thing happened to me. I went to a police beating and a baseball game broke out.
Make death threats and resist arrest and this is what will happen to you.
Police 1 Crime 0
Report Post »rgalunas
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:47amThe guy looked like he didnt want to go down after punching the other GUY! The police did what was expected from AUTHORITY! Authority I believe is an ordanace of God!
Report Post »concealled9mms
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 6:24pmwhat video are you watching show me in the video where he resisted arrest the trouble in this country are sheep like you that believe everything a stinking union cop th-ug says follow if you want to sheep
Report Post »waicool
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:52amThe chick screeching “Stop It, Stop It” must be a PETA protester complaining about the treatment of the animal. Pennsylvania must be proud.
Report Post »s.n.
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:51amUm…..lets see. Cops have night sticks, saps, tasers, guns but yet a moron like this guy says no when they say go. Can we say………..uh……..stupid?
Report Post »IMaTELLaU
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:50am10 ft tall and bullet proof!
Report Post »SOOOOOO, let me get this straight, ONE drunk at a game makes a death threat and gets tazed, smashed in the face arms and legs….. while holding NNNNOOOO weapon and the officers feared for their lives?????? GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He should have been wearing a SIEU shirt and the union cops would have bought him a beer!!!!!!!!!!!
VISITORNUMBER3
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:49amNothing personal, but you guys need to hire a copy editor…
Report Post »lngwlkr
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:48amNo kidding!
“apparently one of the offices involved” – really? I thought two cops were involved, not offices.
“We were being surrounded by the drunked fans” – If the cop said that, then he either was joining in with the “drunked” fans or needs to go back to school also. Drunked fans???
Report Post »wisdom of aged
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 2:15pmYeppers. rofl and that? is our protection. I am getting old .
Report Post »s.n.
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:49amGo coppers. And yet another moron in a bottle
Report Post »KEA
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:49amExcessive force from what I see.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:47amWhen you drink enough that the cops have to haul you out of the ball park, you might have a problem. I doubt that guy will figure it out though.
Report Post »Frogginit
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:46amLooks like police doing their job to me. The liberals will say it was excessive force. To them, if an officer says, “Put your hands behind your back” it’s police brutality.
Report Post »jedi.kep
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:44amAnother Pa idiot. Why does my state have all the losers??? Good job police.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:22amWhy do sports fans need to get drunk to see a ball game? Is the game so boring that they must swill numerous beers? If so, stay at home and watch grass grow or watch paint dry. I’ve been to several professional sporting events and drunken, loud mouthed fans have made it an unpleasant outing, especially when you have children or grandchildren with you. Trying to explain to them the actions of several drunken, foul mouthed and immature fans becomes a problem.
GOOD JOB POLICE!!! If this idiot cannot comply with ligitimate orders, do what ever it takes to affect the arrest. If the police had cowtowed to this Jackass, soon the lawless element wouls assume that they had a free pass to do whatever they wanted to do at the ballpark and the chaos would rule. The games would no longer be a place where you could take your wife and kids.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:35amBeen to Wisconsin lately???
Report Post »Toodumtu
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:43amAh yeh gimme another stadium hawked beer please so I can be drunk and unruly. Ya reap what ya sow.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:41am.
Report Post »those cops need a tune up……
dabbo
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:40amThis guy took a lick‘in and kept on tick’in……
He must have been full of liquid courage.
Report Post »drago
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:49amHe had more than liquid courage in him Dabbo….
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:40amI think that these police officers should immediately be transferred to the Washington State house and be there to great the SEIU union thugs the next time they decide they are going to force their way into the Governor’s office or into a private business.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:02amYep! Taser first than ask questions….
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:36amAhhhh the good old American Pastime. Baseball and beatings. God bless America.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:43amWelcome to the ballgame and brutal beatdowns be either the fans (as happened earlier this month) or by the police. Nice to know just how safe we are in the nation.
The fact to me is this, let the matter now be settled in the courts, if the officers used excessive force then they should stand trial for it; the matter should be looked into.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:06amComply with the Police and all will be well……looks like airbrush smacks on the neck area. Smacks in the legs to make the suspect comply are TOTALLY legal! Death threats and acts of assault by the suspect would have had me on edge too. The benefit to the Law Enforcement officials is where I stand.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:06amTake me out to the beating
Report Post »Let me incite the crowd
Buy me some tazers and billy clubs
I don’t care if the idiot gets drubbed
For its crack the head of the Pit fan
He’s drunk and easy to blame
Smack him once, twice, three times a crack
At the old ball game.
rt elms
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:11amIt appears they could have just cuffed him and it would have been all over (except for the crying) but no, the cops had to go Neanderthal on him. It looks like there is more than one problem here.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:23am@13thImam:
Nice new version of the classic.
Report Post »sooner12
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:33am13th Imam………I enjoyed your lyrics.
Report Post »watchtheotherhand
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:35amlarge crowds with unlimited beer are not a good mix for some people !!!!
Report Post »Sgt.Crust
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:41amROFLOL, anyone who defends this punk is nutzo, if he threatened bodily harm on someone that is, or is creating a disturbance. There is no way this punk can take that shock, so I say he had something under that jacket to blunt the tazers, yeah he is strong and can take a blow, but not 50,000 volts my friends, unless he is Frankenstien! As to the crowd, unruly, drunks, chanting and such. And to the little woman screaming ‘stop it, stop it’, she just needs to be slapped. People listen up, you may think it is brutality, but if the ‘thin blue line’ goes away, you will not be safe ANYWHERE in the USA…too many punks out there that will rob, kill or rape you…what a BUNCH OF MORONS!!!
13th Imam
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:43amSnow
Report Post »Seen some nasty things said abouit you lately. Let them fall off your back like water off a ducks back. As a long time Red Sox fan, I’ve been to Fenway and Yankee Stadium many times and never had or saw this type of altercation. The only prob I’ve ever had was at Camden Yards where three drunk college age kids sat behind me and my wife shouting obsenities, with small kids all around us. I had it by the third inning and at first qiuetly turned and asked the biggest one to temper his vocab, when that didn’t work Iconfronted them more loudly and when two of them stood up to reply, about ten other fathers quickly stood up and surrounded them , they sat down meekly. To my surprise, they apologised to me after the game ,we shook hands and Elvis left the stadium. Keep up your good work
!3th
grandmaof5
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:45amGood morning, SNOW, I’m with you. After what happened at the Dodger’s game opening day, let the courts decide. I still think about that poor guy and pray that he will make a full recovery and be able to get back to work and his family. Wonder if they ever caught the people responsible? Too bad one or two people have to ruin happy times for many.
Report Post »wildjoker5
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:47amIts a non-issue of too much force, he is White.
But on the true side, I, military member, durning my asp/baton training, was told specifically, stricking someone in the head is attempted murder, even when trying to subdue an enemy combatant that is trying to take my gun. I don’t get why the cops started at the head.
Report Post »Bloody Sam
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:59am“The violence began when Ashley, once down the steps, tried to high-five another fan. A park staff member then appears to put his arm up to try and block the high-five, and Ashley responds by elbowing that man, whom the police report names as Travis Skibiel.”
This Travis Skibiel is responsible for the entire mess. If he hadn’t been such pinhead and tried to block the high five, none of this would have happened in all likelihood. Ashley was complying and would have been in custody within another minute.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:12am@13th Imam:
Thanks for the support, let the critics have their say, for sometimes all can find better understanding in the free expression of opinions. And true, they need to roll off my back like water off a duck.
@Grandmaof5:
Morning, hope all is well in Fla, kitty is fine, temp will hit 90s by weekend according to the weather man. I hope the man beaten on opening day does have a full and swift recovery, they had a comment the other day on the drudgereport that he may have brain damage.
Report Post »markamerica
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:13am@13th Imam:
Good job!
Mark
Report Post »sdd757
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:16amAhh, here we go again with members here with police excrement on their noses (how far did you get your nose up there this time). “If the police go away who will protect your”, they say in sissy sounding voices. For your information, the police have NO duty to protect you (Lynch v. N.C. Dept. of Justice, others..). From what I see we need protection from them. Tasers should be banned from law enforcement use.
Again, I EXPECT 100% professionalism at ALL times. Not 99.9999%. What would be nice is for officers to loose immunity for doing this stuff. Let him explain to his wife why their loosing everything because he’s an idiot…
Report Post »A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:21amThe reason Ashley was yelling after he got up was because after clearly and calmly putting his hands behind his back in compliance, some jerk officer decided to kneel on his neck.
I‘m having trouble calling this one because I can’t reconcile the accusation of threats to kill someone with Ashley’s reserved actions toward the clearly inept officers.
The way the officers acted make me think there might be something more to the beginning of the incident that they’re not telling us.
Whatever jacket he’s wearing, I want one. :)
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:28amThe ball parks do clearly state that cursing, yelling, threats, abusive language will not be tolerated and MLB is the only sport left that enforces these rules. The last game i went to i had my son and some guy was yelling racial slurs for the first 3-4 innings. There were 4 other dads nearby and we all asked him politely to stop… it got worse and I (230 LB weight lifter) told him to shut up! His friend finally had to tell him to shut the he!! up before he stopped. On another occasion, security escorted a guy out that was obviously causing problems.
I did not pay $80 to hear some moron scream curses and make threat for 2 hrs.
Report Post »rt elms
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 11:39amAnyone approving of bad behavior, be it fortified with liquid stupid or a badge is the moron. Maybe its just me, but I hold the officers to a higher standard than an over-served jacka$$. Good policing, even in a drunken mob, is not impossible. It should have been cuffs and a car ride, but somebody’s nightstick got in the way.
Report Post »My Sacred Honor
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:22pmWow. As a Marine Corps MP, we were not allowed under ANY circumstance to hit a suspect in the head with our side-handled batons…or in the solar plexus or the kneecaps.
Report Post »But then, we were trained to use them much more effectively as a restraining device, almost in a martial arts kinda way.
Brasil2520
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:23pmIt looked like a scene from the movie “EURO TRIP”
Report Post »I like to watch the video first, then read the, why and when.
At first it looked like the guy was British, and this was a USA vs England soccor game.
I‘m surprised American’s are acting this way.
crackerone
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:29pmDrop kick me Jesus.
Report Post »theonefromabove
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:39pmGlad to see people still care enough about our baseball pastime.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »brianhks
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:50pm@WALKWITHME1966
As soon as the guy elbos the other guy you can hear the tazer being deployed. Obviously the guys jacket was too puffy (note to self puffy jackets prevent tazers from working). Your job as a cop is to stay in control of the situation and here we have a man who is willing to be violent and showed it. So the police acted appropriately by using the “humane” tazer. Obviously when that didn’t work the option was to get violent with him. Also the cop told the man to get down but he didn’t respond (bad mistake).
Report Post »wisdom of aged
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 2:10pmFor sure, at 72 I see Hell waiting for America when it falls.) and it WILL fall.:(
Report Post »GODSAMERICA
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 4:38pmBreak the law, fight with the cops and get an electroperm and bruises – another normal day at the ballpark.
Report Post »cal_jrp
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 6:19pmthis is a clear act of police brutality. nice to post comments about a guy exercising his first amendment right to get drunk at a ball game and yell profanities. there is no evidence of an altercation requiring the use of deadly force. under the pa statue 120 regarding the training requirements to be a police officer, the use of a baton is never to be used against the head or neck area. this is deadly force. the man is armed at the most with a soft lined cooler, which by my account is not a weapon. and definatley not in the manner it was being held. the officers involved should face charges. fenny where is mr “police brutality” sharpton. its amazing how in an event like this it is always after the fact the susect had yelled “im going to kill u”
Report Post »still not justifying the actions taken against him.
frodis
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 7:21pmGood old fashion police work. I think the guy had it coming. But of course we have to be gentle now. The police don’t have time to waste with these bums. Contain and arrest. I have no problem with that video.
Report Post »My Sacred Honor
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:47pmLol… Pirates fan? Did he say “Don’t tase me, YO!”?
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 6:49amThat was unneccessary excessive police force. The guy was not a direct physical threat to the cops, certainly not to the point there they needed club him like that. That was bull crap. Those cops should be suspended!
Report Post »The guy was pulling off the Taser line and the cop struck him in the neck and then the guy said “Dont hit me” and the cop struck again. There was no need for that. Whatever happened to “Hands on your head and get on your knees” ???