Arlington PD Investigate Choke Hold Incident At AT&T Stadium
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ARLINGTON (CBSDFW) - Arlington Police are investigating a chokehold incident at AT&T Stadium during Thanksgiving's Carolina Panthers vs. Cowboys game.
Cell phone video which has gone viral, were shared on social media of the confrontation between a Panthers fan and a stadium security guard.
The video appears to show a security guard in an orange shirt placing the Panthers fan into a chokehold.
In a statement on his Facebook page, that fan--John Small--claims security asked him to leave because a complaint had been filed against him.
"They would not tell me anything specific and said they would not ask me to leave again. I politely stood up for myself and before I knew it they were nudging Mom out of the way to get to me and at that point, I walked into the aisle and was immediately put into a chokehold," Small explained.
"We are loyal and we are avid fans, but we strive to always be respectful fans, especially as visiting fans<" Small maintained.
"I'm 51 years old; I've been to a ton of football games and I've never seen anyone treated like that. And all he was doing was cheering," said John Hines, another Panthers fan. Hines flew into North Texas from South Carolina for the game. Hines had never met Small before the game.
The fan was close enough to hit record as security guards tried to escort Small up the aisle and out of the stadium. Though the videos don't capture what happened before the confrontation ensued, Hines insists Small had only been cheering for his team.
"There was no problem until he exposed a sign that said "11-0" and someone got irritated with that. That's just cheering for your team," Hines explained.
On social media, Small received support from both Cowboys and Carolina Panthers fans alike. Via social media comments, a few fans claimed they witnessed Small being disruptive at the game. Hines called the security guard's behavior disruptive.
"The Cowboys organization needs to stand up and take some responsibility for hiring someone like that," Hines said.
Arlington Police reached out to Small after seeing the viral video. The Panthers fan, who lives in North Carolina, filed a police report over the phone. The department is investigating the incident as a possible misdemeanor assault.
The Cowboys declined to comment.
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