A man who ran onto the field during a BC Lions game on Saturday may now be taking legal action.
The video of the incident went viral. The Lions’ fan, wearing a jersey and underwear, but no pants or shoes, went running onto the field at BC Place and then was tackled hard by Lions’ player Marcell Young.
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Now comes the possibility he will sue.
The fan, a Surrey man in his 20s, was not charged with a criminal offence but was issued a $115 ticket for trespassing.
The Preszler Law Firm in Vancouver has issued a statement, saying it has been retained as legal counsel by the young man.
It says he suffered serious injuries, including a mild traumatic brain injury, has been released from hospital and is now recovering at home, but his prognosis remains unclear.
The law firm says contrary to some news reports, he was never arrested or taken to jail, but was released from the stadium shortly after the incident before being taken to the hospital by his family.
Vancouver police confirm the man was offered an ambulance, which he declined, but he was escorted out of B.C. Place and released at the scene.
BC Place Spokesperson Laura Ballance says security handled everything by the book.
“Industry best practice is to walk and not run for security staff in these types of situations,” she told CKNW’s The Jon McComb Show.
“I can also confirm that the security staff that were involved in resolving this incident were correct, they were following security protocols and security protocols that are considered industry best practice.”
Vancouver-based lawyer Paul Doroshenko with Acumen Law say’s he’s not surprised the fan is considering suing.
“As a football player out on the field is it your job or duty to be tackling trespassers? And I don’t think many people are going to say that that is the job of a football player who’s in all of their gear.”
Doroshenko said the court will also likely examine whether the force used to subdue the streaking fan was reasonable under the circumstances.
— With files from Jon Azpiri and Michelle Morton
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