Scenes turned ugly at a National Lacrosse League over the weekend after the Halifax Thunderbirds’ loss to the Colorado Mammoth in Denver.
Following their 19-14 defeat, the Halifax players were headed back to the tunnel when a fan seemingly triggered player Tyson Bell.
In a video posted by a spectator from the stands, fans were seen verbally jabbing and waving hand gestures at the visiting team. While two players ignored the heckling, Bell reacted violently.
Without hesitation, Bell walked towards the fans and threw a right jab that hit one square in the face. Rather than fighting back, the heckler pulled out his phone and appeared to begin recording as Bell moved the barricade and continued approaching.
The second fan pushed the light railing back, which led to the player swinging his stick and hitting the supporter in the cheek.
Bell’s teammates and security staffers eventually separated him from the fans as they tried to diffuse the situation.
Pro lacrosse player Tyson Bell snapped at two hecklers in Colorado over the weekend
After the video gained traction on social media, fans were divided on the comment section. While some argued that the violent response was justified, others alluded to possible assault charges.
‘That was an assault with a weapon, no place for this bully in sports,’ one user wrote.
‘Someone is getting a nice settlement,’ another suggested.
‘Some fans are too comfortable saying whatever they want,’ a third argued. ‘It’s only a matter of time before players stop taking it. It’s [100%] all that fans fault.’
‘I love this. Keyboard warriors in real life. Don’t talk s***if you can’t back it up…. So good,’ echoed a fourth.
Following the incident, the National Lacrosse League released a statement saying they were ‘aware of an alleged incident between a player and spectator(s) following the Halifax and Colorado game on December 21st.’
‘The league will provide an update after it has completed its investigation.’
