CINCINNATI — A baseball fan at the heart of many now-viral photos and videos no longer faces criminal charges for running onto the field at Great American Ball Park and doing a backflip before being hit by a Taser from a police officer.
William Hendon, 19, was captured on video and by professional sports photographers in imagery that went viral online. Hendon can be seen running into the outfield, appearing to talk to a Cleveland Guardians player and doing a backflip before an officer chased him and eventually used a Taser to subdue him.
A fan in the outfield said Hendon ran onto the field in a Reds jersey and appeared to try to fist-bump the Guardians player.
He was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center and was booked within an hour; he pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespassing and obstructing official business. Those charges are now dropped. Hendon was ordered to instead complete a diversion program, which prosecutors said he's already done.
However, he still remains banned from Great American Ball Park.
Hendon is a sophomore at Ohio State University and is the grandson of a former Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge Sylvia Hendon.
