Fans, Players Brawl at Texas Arena Football Game
An arena football game in Texas descended into chaos this weekend, as players fought each other and eventually drew fans into the melee at Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.
The violence broke out Saturday night in the fourth quarter of a game between the West Texas Warbirds and the Dallas Prime.
Video of the incident was posted by to Twitter and shows one fan using a chair to strike a visiting player in the head.
In a statement, Warbirds’ president Leif Kertis called the incident “embarrassing, regrettable, and inexcusable,” saying the organization is cooperating with authorities on an investigation.
“We are confident that once details emerge many items will be cleared up. We can confirm that as of right now no Warbirds players, coaches, or staff are subjects of the investigations.”
The investigation is focused on players who may have hit fans, as well as the fan who used a chair to strike a player.
Kertis said that his team is under investigation but noted that the fan with the chair “is not, and has never been part of our organization in any capacity.”
“No matter where fault, blame, or culpability lies we owe the people of the Permian Basin an apology. You should never be concerned for your safety or your child’s safety at our games. We are taking the appropriate steps to mitigate any possibility of reoccurrence in future seasons by working with the Coliseum and ECSO on improved proactive measures as well as response management,” Kertis added.
KOSA, the CBS affiliate in Odessa, estimated the fight last for around 10 minutes.
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