Streaking for trouble
Sat Oct 22 08:09am EDT
UCLA-’Zona update: Suspensions for brawling players, felony charge for reality show-inspired streaker,by Matt Hinton
An Arizona student’s sudden emergence from the stands dressed as an official set the chaos into motion. In addition to being tackled, cuffed and paraded off the field in his skivvies in front of halftime entertainers decked out in full 19th Century Mexican regalia, the streaker was also booked on a felony charge:
Jace Michael Lankow, 22, was arrested on charges of criminal impersonation and was booked into Pima County jail Thursday night after his televised streaking at Arizona Stadium. Lankow was released Friday, the jail said.
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The criminal impersonation charge is a Class 6 felony. According to Arizona Revised Statutes, the felony can be dropped down to a Class 1 misdemeanor based on the court’s review of the defendant’s character and history and if the crime was not a dangerous offense.
I might have guessed running onto a football field during live action could get you hit with a trespassing charge; I don’t think I would have come up with “criminal impersonation” of a ref. At any rate, unless/until the charge is downgraded or dropped, Lankow faces a year and a half in jail if convicted. He may also face repercussions from the university.
According to a police report, Lankow got on the field via a fake all-access pass he made using an old pass from his days as a student volunteer for the team in 2006. His motivation? Lankow told officers he’s applying to be a contestant on the TV show “Wipeout,” and wanted a better answer for the application question, “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Assuming he’s a free man when producers begin casting, they just may have a winner.