Police: Face mask dispute leads to one Razorback football fan being arrested
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR (KFSM) — Razorback fans will be wearing their masks for one more home football game this season. But, one fan won’t be showing up after he was confronted twice by the University of Arkansas Police at the last home game against LSU over not complying with the stadium mask policy.
The University of Arkansas Police told 5NEWS this incident is the only problem they’ve dealt with this football season concerning face masks.
30-year-old Seth Pitts left Razorback Stadium in handcuffs and is barred from campus for one year, meaning Pitts could be arrested on criminal trespassing charges if spotted on university property.
Body camera video from the scene starts at the ticket scanner before entering the game and shows Pitts and a university officer discussing his lack of a face covering. The video shows Pitts trying to walk into the game, and the officer steps in front of him.
Pitts was told again of the mask requirement, and the situation escalates from there.
Following an argument with the officer, Pitts puts on a mask when one is handed to him. He then entered the stadium, ignoring the police’s request that he wait until a commanding officer can speak with him.
The bodycam footage briefly stops, but an arrest report stated that Pitts walked immediately into a bathroom and came back out without a mask on.
The footage picks up from there, showing Pitts in Razorback Stadium without a mask on. An officer then tells Pitts he’s being ejected. Pitts asks the police why and then puts the mask back on.
Pitts is asked for his I.D., and after several failed attempts to hand it over to the police, officers arrest him.
5NEWS reached out to Pitts about his arrest; he says he is heartbroken over the matter and claims that some of the information in the police report is untrue. When asked what is untrue in the report, Pitts says one officer stated that he saw him flip off a female staff member before entering the stadium.
“I cannot express how badly this hurts my feelings. I will stand behind any of my words or action seen on the police camera, but that unruly gesture was not true,” Pitts said.
Pitts’s attorney told 5NEWS that it’s important to note that he does understand the University of Arkansas’ policy regarding face coverings. His attorney went on to say that Pitts has attended previous games this year where he noticed law enforcement, medical personnel, large groups of patrons, and event staff members who were not wearing masks or not wearing them correctly, leading Seth to believe the mask requirement was a suggestion.
Pitts was issued misdemeanor citations for obstructing governmental operations and disorderly conduct.
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