A fan was arrested for allegedly throwing a plastic water bottle and hitting Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam during the closing moments of Sunday’s 31-30 home loss to the New York Jets.
Cleveland police said Tuesday that Jeffrey Miller, 51, of Rocky River, was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and failure to comply. Miller was spotted by stadium video surveillance throwing the bottle and was followed with cameras.
After the Jets scored their go-ahead touchdown on a pass from Joe Flacco to rookie Garrett Wilson with 22 seconds left, Haslam was seen on a video walking toward an end zone tunnel in FirstEnergy Stadium when he was struck by the projectile.
Haslam stopped and pointed in the direction that the bottle came from.
According to the police report, Miller initially failed to stop when ordered by officers. Once he was detained, Miller told police “it never hit the field” as he was being taken to a holding room inside the stadium. He was later booked and held in the Cuyahoga County jail.
In the report, police said Miller appeared to be intoxicated.
The Browns intend to ban Miller from the stadium, a person familiar with the team’s decision told The Associated Press. The person to the AP spoke on condition of anonymity while the legal process plays out.
Earlier, the team released a statement condemning fan unruliness.
“Fan, player and staff safety is the top priority in our building and behavior that puts others in danger will not be tolerated,” spokesman Peter Jean-Baptiste said. “Luckily no one was harmed in this incident and as a standard practice, we’ve cooperated with law enforcement authorities and security video footage of the object being thrown is in the appropriate hands.
“We will have no further comment on this matter.”
The Browns were winning 30-17 with 1:55 left before giving up 14 points in a minute and suffering one of the worst losses in team history.
Bills CB Jackson avoids major injury
A photo of cornerback Dane Jackson smiling alongside safety Micah Hyde as both players left the hospital was all it took to ease the mind of Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott on Tuesday morning.
“Nate sent me a picture as I was heading home,” McDermott said, referring to Bills head athletic trainer Nate Breske. “So it was good to see, and it just kind of helped me get a little bit of rest there, too, knowing that they were in a good spot.”
The Bills players were sent to the hospital after both sustained neck injuries in a 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
While Jackson was driven off the field in an ambulance and hospitalized Monday night, the team didn’t disclose Hyde’s trip to the hospital until Tuesday. Hyde was carted off the field in the third quarter, and McDermott said the team elected to send him for tests as a precaution.
Jackson’s was considered the more serious injury. His head and neck snapped backward after he was struck by a teammate late in the second quarter.
The Bills announced tests revealed Jackson sustained no major injury to his neck or spinal cord.
• The NFL suspended Bills backup offensive lineman Bobby Hart for one game, a day after he took a swing at a Titans player and instead struck a Tennessee coach in the head following the game.
Hart was suspended without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct and won’t be eligible to rejoin the team until after Buffalo plays at Miami on Sunday.
Hart has the right to appeal the decision reached by the league’s VP of football operations Jon Runyan.
Browns’ Garrett may miss Steelers game
Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett didn’t practice Tuesday because of a neck injury and it’s not yet known if the All-Pro will play in Thursday night’s game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Garrett needs just one sack to pass Clay Matthews’ team career record. He was held out of practice along with starting left guard Joel Bitonio, who is dealing with a biceps injury, as the Browns began preparing on a short week.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said “we’ll see” when asked whether Garrett or Bitonio will be available to face the Steelers (1-1).