Omaha Man Arrested for Allegedly Spitting on Maryland Football Player During Nebraska-Maryland Game
David Hernandez, 26, taken into custody for disturbing the peace
LINCOLN, Neb. – An Omaha man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly spitting on a Maryland football player during an altercation at Memorial Stadium. David Hernandez, 26, was taken into custody by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and charged with disturbing the peace, a third-degree misdemeanor.
The incident occurred during the Nebraska-Maryland game, where Hernandez and another fan were engaged in a verbal altercation with Maryland players. According to Lancaster County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, Maryland defensive back Gavin Gibson reported that Hernandez spit on him during the disturbance.
“Gavin Gibson did report that during the disturbance fight, David Hernandez was the party responsible for spitting on Mr. Gibson,” said Houchin.
The situation escalated further when the players went into the tunnel for halftime, and Hernandez allegedly spit on another Maryland player. However, Hernandez’s attorney, Mike Tasset, claims that his client was in the restroom at the time of the incident. Tasset is waiting to view the security video from Memorial Stadium, believing it will exonerate Hernandez. He alleges that the Maryland player may have tried to spit on Hernandez and even attempted to physically assault him.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule expressed his lack of knowledge about the incident, stating, “I hate to comment on that without knowing what happened. My experience with Nebraska fans and Husker fans has been unbelievable.”
In response to the incident, Husker Athletics released a statement affirming that swift action was taken to diffuse the situation. They also announced modifications to the visiting team entrance area to increase the space between the team and the general public.
Chief Deputy Houchin, who has worked games for years, emphasized that incidents like this are rare among Husker fans. “Most Husker fans are outstanding, decent to all the other teams and their fans,” he said.
If convicted, Hernandez could face up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. KETV NewsWatch 7’s Andy Kendeigh captured the aftermath of the incident in the tunnel.
[Image: Emotions running high in Lincoln – at least one Husker fan got into it with a Maryland player as the Terps left the field to enter its locker room – Police involved to track down fan involved]
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