UA police investigate bottle-throwing incident
by Multiple Authors on Feb. 29, 2008, under Special, SportsUniversity of Arizona police and the college athletics department are continuing their investigation into the latest bout of unruly behavior to plague a UA game, where a fan threw a water bottle at opponents.
The police and athletics department will also meet to discuss if changes need to be made to help control fans in the stands, based on behavior of the past week, UA police Sgt. Eugene Mejia said Friday.
In the latest incident, a fan threw a plastic water bottle that hit a USC player Thursday night at McKale Center, just seconds before Arizona lost 70-58.
While no arrest had been made Friday, Mejia said police are continuing their investigation to find the fan who threw the half-empty bottle.
An ESPN replay showed the bottle flying and hitting USC’s Dwight Lewis on the right foot. Authorities were reviewing the tape.
“If someone was injured, the person who threw the bottle could be facing assault or endangerment charges,” Mejia said.
“At the very least, if the person was a student they can be dealt with administratively and also face potential charges of disruption,” the police sergeant said.
The bottle-throwing incident comes the heels of Arizona’s student section getting in trouble for saying, “F – - – the ref” in the last game.
UA administrators went as far as meeting with UA students and making a video to keep UA’s student section on better behavior.
In a Citizen story earlier this week, UA president Robert Shelton said he spoke with athletic director Jim Livengood “and we agreed that this behavior reflects badly on the UA and needs to stop.”
Livengood, UA interim head coach Kevin O’Neill and Zona Zoo executive director David Roost filmed a YouTube video message Tuesday asking student fans to shape up.
It apparently didn’t work. When it occurred, O’Neill pointed to the student section and told the crowd to get the person who threw the bottle.
He then apologized to USC coach Tim Floyd. A video of O’Neill’s speech already has been posted on YouTube.
“This is a real sophisticated crowd here. They are great basketball fans and they understand basketball,” Floyd said. “That kind of thing can happen in any area. We are not upset about it or bothered by it. It is one person. This is one of the great environments in basketball.”
It hasn’t been lately.
“I don’t think that’s acceptable,” said UA’s Jerryd Bayless. “I think we’re a school of higher class than that. Whoever threw the bottle definitely shouldn’t be doing that. They’ve got to learn that’s not the way to do it.”
Mejia said the police and athletics department regularly meet after each game and their upcoming discussion may include the idea of barring beverage bottles, even plastic ones, from the stadium altogether.
By Ryn Gargulinski, Steve Rivera
