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News & ArtsMonday, August 13, 2012
Crime Man Refuses to Surrender Wine Glass at 5th Avenue Theatre, Gets Arrested During Rent
Posted by Unpaid Intern on Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Posted by news intern Mike Gore
This adventure of the Seattle Police Department took place at the 5th Avenue Theatre, where a patron of the arts had a bit too much to drink last Wednesday. According to a report filed by SPD officer Christopher Myers, a 72-year-old man had been consuming wine in the lobby with his wife before the 8:00 p.m. showing of Rent. He was walking to his seat with a glass of wine just before the start of the show, when an usher told him that alcohol wasn't allowed inside the theater—only in the lobby. According to the report, he ignored the usher, and proceeded to his seat, wine in hand.
- Mark Kitaoka
- "Just keep looking at me and singing and maybe that man won't throw his wine at us."
After the women were reseated elsewhere in the theater, the man chugged the wine and threw the glass at the usher, the police report says. A security officer told the man (who was seated next to his wife) to leave four times but he wouldn't budge. Finally, the police arrived.
It should be noted that what happens next occurred in the theater as RENT unfolded on stage.
"Sir, this is the Seattle Police, you need to step outside with me right now," said Officer Christopher Myers.
"No, I'm going to sit here and enjoy the show," the man reportedly said. He refused to move twice more.
The officer's report notes he wanted "to cause as little disturbance to the audience around (the man) watching the show." It took three officers to forcibly remove the struggling man from his seat (who fought back by grabbing the officers wrists "in a clear attempt to cause pain"). In the lobby, the man was placed under arrest for criminal trespass. But as he was hauled out to a squad car, the man's wife—who, again, had been seated next to him throughout the entire debacle—elected to stay in the theater.
Upon arriving at the West Precinct, the man reportedly "vomited wine multiple times." And while he'd denied wrongdoing a few times up to that point, the man "acknowledged that he had way too much to drink and that is likely why he made so many bad choices."
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When you're 35, it's just kind of sad.
At 72...I gotta say, I think it's kind of funny, again.
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(Doing it with a glass of wine in hand sounds like an even better idea.)
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Hold on...yes, I remember that...it was 1970 and I was going to Camp Don Bosco for the sumer....
Spill the wine,
Slap that ass
Spill the wine
Slap that ass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i0DMbCKn…
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I picked him after I got off work and drove directly to the theater. I did not observe how much alcohol he had consumedd at home before I picked him up. As we usually do, we bought a glass of wine to enjoy before the show started (I paid--big mistake). I finished my glass before he did and advised him he needed to finish his drink. He then informed me he did not want to "chug it." I also mentioned to him that wine was not allowed in the theater. He chose to ignore my advice.
After sitting down--he with his plastic cup of wine--several other patrons excused themselves because they wanted to get by us to reach their seats. I don't know what he said to one of the women, but I did hear her response, which was a playful, "Hey, give me that wine."
I was just as shocked as everyone else when he replied, "You try to take my wine and I'll stap you on the ass." The two women then sat down right next to me (on the right) and I apologized for his bad behavior. These were NOT the same women who asked to be seated in another area--those two were sitting on my husband's left side and obviously were nervous about his behavior.
Anyway..... the narrative is pretty much as described above. He did throw the plastic cup and then refused to apologize for his rudeness. I urged him to "man up" and apologize but he declined. At that point I realized he was beyond listening to anything I had to say and I decided he would get what he deserved.
I stayed because I wanted to see the show and I didn't think it was fair for me to have to suffer for his bad behavior. I had the support of the women around me who clearly saw that I was not defending his behavior.
I did enjoy the show, despite the drama, and hope my espousal unit learned a valuable lesson. We have attended numerous cultural events throughout the Seattle area during the past ten years and believe me, this is a first outburse of this nature at any of those venues. It will also be the last!
I picked him after I got off work and drove directly to the theater. I did not observe how much alcohol he had consumedd at home before I picked him up. As we usually do, we bought a glass of wine to enjoy before the show started (I paid--big mistake). I finished my glass before he did and advised him he needed to finish his drink. He then informed me he did not want to "chug it." I also mentioned to him that wine was not allowed in the theater. He chose to ignore my advice.
After sitting down--he with his plastic cup of wine--several other patrons excused themselves because they wanted to get by us to reach their seats. I don't know what he said to one of the women, but I did hear her response, which was a playful, "Hey, give me that wine."
I was just as shocked as everyone else when he replied, "You try to take my wine and I'll stap you on the ass." The two women then sat down right next to me (on the right) and I apologized for his bad behavior. These were NOT the same women who asked to be seated in another area--those two were sitting on my husband's left side and obviously were nervous about his behavior.
Anyway..... the narrative is pretty much as described above. He did throw the plastic cup and then refused to apologize for his rudeness. I urged him to "man up" and apologize but he declined. At that point I realized he was beyond listening to anything I had to say and I decided he would get what he deserved.
I stayed because I wanted to see the show and I didn't think it was fair for me to have to suffer for his bad behavior. I had the support of the women around me who clearly saw that I was not defending his behavior.
I did enjoy the show, despite the drama, and hope my espousal unit learned a valuable lesson. We have attended numerous cultural events throughout the Seattle area during the past ten years and believe me, this is a first outburse of this nature at any of those venues. It will also be the last!
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