11 Athletes Who Snapped During Games And Ended Up In Handcuffs

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Athletes usually amusement up, agelong a small — I dunno, I’m conscionable a doughy BuzzFeed writer — play the game, and spell home. What they mostly don’t bash is perpetrate crimes successful the mediate of the crippled that extremity with them successful handcuffs. But arsenic my grandpa utilized to say, “If you ticker capable baseball, yet you’ll spot everything.” And it turns retired that applies to each sport.

Athlete with USA jersey and golden medal, draped successful flag, smiling connected crystal rink, celebrating victory

Here are 11 beyond-shocking stories of athletes committing crimes portion competing:

1. In 1983, boxer Luis Resto bushed an undefeated rising prima successful a immense upset — but the triumph turned into 1 of sports' astir infamous transgression scandals. At the time, Resto was a journeyman welterweight approaching 30 who had gained a estimation for being incapable to present a knockout punch. But past helium got an unthinkable accidental — to combat the up-and-coming, undefeated boxer Billy Collins Jr. connected the undercard of the Roberto Durán vs. Davey Moore airy middleweight rubric combat astatine Madison Square Garden. Wow! This was Resto's accidental to yet get to the apical of the boxing world! There was lone 1 occupation — Collins Jr. was a precise talented boxer with nary occupation knocking retired an hostile (he'd tallied successful 11 knockouts retired of 14 bouts, acold amended than Resto who had lone managed 8 successful 31). Resto was owed for a beating and everyone knew it.

Boxer Luis Resto successful the ring, accompanied by his squad holding the flag. Text shows his age, twelvemonth turned pro, and birthplace

But past thing magical happened. When the doorbell rang, Resto — similar a real-life Rocky — amazed Collins Jr. by dominating the proceedings. The formerly soft-hitting boxer was abruptly landing hard-hitting punches similar a young Mike Tyson. Between rounds, Collins told his begetter and trainer, Billy Collins Sr., that helium felt similar helium was being deed by rocks. The combat ended with Resto pulling disconnected an upset, ten-round triumph by unanimous decision. Talk astir a feel-good Cinderella-story, right? RIGHT?!

Boxing lucifer astatine Madison Square Garden, New York City. Two boxers are successful enactment wrong the ring, with a referee and assemblage successful the background

Well, portion inactive successful the ring, Billy Collins Sr. went to congratulate Resto, and portion shaking his gloved hand, could archer that the gloves had importantly little padding than they were expected to have. He told the boxing commission, which confiscated the gloves. Collins Jr., meanwhile, was successful atrocious shape. He'd suffered a torn iris resulting successful imperishable blurred vision, ending his boxing career. "He fell apart,'' his begetter aboriginal told the New York Times. ''He couldn't header with it. He thought helium was somebody, past helium was nobody. His young caput couldn't basal it. He became depressed, and it kept going deeper." He died 9 months aboriginal portion driving drunk. ''I truly deliberation helium drove disconnected the roadworthy connected purpose," his begetter said. "Not that helium wanted to termination himself. No. I deliberation everything conscionable piled up, and helium wanted to punish himself.''

Side-by-side images of a antheral boxer earlier and aft a match, showcasing a important translation with disposable facial injuries

Resto and his trainer Panama Lewis were enactment connected proceedings and recovered blameworthy of assault, transgression possession of a limb (Resto's hands) and conspiracy. Resto served 2 and a fractional years successful prison. Two decades aboriginal helium apologized successful idiosyncratic to Collins Jr.'s widow, and admitted their strategy was worse than radical knew. They'd not lone removed the padding from his boxing gloves, but soaked portion successful plaster which they wrapped his hands in. So Collins Jr.'s assertion helium was being deed by rocks was astir right.

Three men are engaged successful speech indoors. The antheral successful the halfway wears a ceremonial coat

2. Well, that was benignant of heavy, wasn't it? Let's adjacent speech astir a communicative that's much bizarre than tragic. On August 4, 1983, Hall of Fame shot subordinate Dave Winfield and the New York Yankees were playing the Toronto Blue Jays astatine Exhibition Stadium. After warming up anterior to the 5th inning, Winfield tried to flip the shot into the stands for the fans — but alternatively of reaching the stands, the shot deed a seagull successful the neck, killing it and sending a burst of feathers into the air. Winfield reacted successful shock, putting his hands connected his caput successful disbelief, arsenic the fans booed him.

Closeup of Dave Winfield

After the game, Winfield was arrested by constabulary serviceman Wayne Hartery, who believed it was an intentional act, and taken to the constabulary presumption wherever helium was charged with cruelty to animals. Winfield vehemently denied the accusation and, aft an hr of interrogation, was released. The charges were dropped the adjacent day, but Toronto fans taunted Winfield aft that, flapping their arms similar birds. The animosity didn't past forever, though — Winfield signed with the Blue Jays for the 1992 play and became a instrumentality favorite, hitting .290 with 26 homers and 108 RBIs, and finishing 5th successful the American League's Most Valuable Player voting.

An arrow pointing to the shot Winfield threw

3. On Nov. 19, 2004, the visiting Indiana Pacers were comfortably beating the Detroit Pistons astatine The Palace of Auburn Hills successful what should person been a soon-forgotten NBA game. But past Pacers guardant Ron Artest fouled Pistons halfway Ben Wallace, Wallace shoved him, and it turned into 1 of the astir infamous nights successful sports past known arsenic The Malice astatine the Palace. Artest, trying to debar a larger fight, laid connected the scorer’s table. That lasted until a instrumentality hurled a portion that deed him successful the chest. Artest exploded. He leapt into the stands and — oops — grabbed the incorrect spectator, triggering a chaotic brawl betwixt players and fans. Teammate Stephen Jackson followed him in, punching a instrumentality who threw different drink. (Yes, these astir 7 feet gangly nonrecreational athletes were so successful the stands throwing haymakers astatine fans.) Meanwhile, Jermaine O’Neal tried to interruption things up but coiled up punching a instrumentality himself. I retrieve seeing this connected the quality and thinking, "WTF!"

A chaotic country from a hoops crippled combat featuring players and spectators successful a heated altercation. Appears successful a documentary astir the game

The fallout was massive. The NBA suspended 9 players for a combined 146 games, and constabulary reviewed video footage starring to prosecutors filing charges. Five Pacers players — Artest, Jackson, O’Neal, David Harrison, and Anthony Johnson — were charged with battle and battery. They aboriginal pleaded nary contention and were sentenced to probation, assemblage service, fines, and anger-management counseling. Several fans were besides charged, including 1 who threw a seat and pleaded nary contention to felony assault, and different who was convicted of battle and served 30 days successful jail. Imagine paying God knows however overmuch for courtside tickets lone to get your ass kicked by an NBA player, lol. Suddenly, my nosebleed seats don't dependable truthful bad.

A hoops subordinate successful a jersey is being escorted disconnected the tribunal by unit during a game, with the assemblage disposable successful the background

4. OK, we person a wacky shot communicative earlier. Here's a scary one. In 2007, erstwhile MLB All-Star José Offerman was playing for the Long Island Ducks successful the Atlantic League (an autarkic league radical accidental has the contention level of AA). On August 14, Offerman was deed by a transportation from pitcher Matt Beech, but alternatively of jogging to archetypal base, Offerman stormed the mound — inactive gripping his bat. Then helium swung it. Offerman struck some Beech and catcher John Nathans, players from some teams sprinting onto the tract to interruption up the fight. Beech broke a digit portion Nathans suffered a concussion and lingering caput issues. They aboriginal filed civilian lawsuits against Offerman and a Connecticut assemblage awarded Nathans astir $940,000 successful damages successful 2010.

Baseball subordinate successful a "Twins" azygous holding a bat, seated, against a neutral backdrop, wearing a headdress with a "C."

5. Let's bash 1 much precise absorbing shot 1 earlier we get to the murders (yes...murders!) In 2025, 2 Major League pitchers were arrested aft national prosecutors accused them of helping gamblers triumph bets by manipulating thing highly tiny — idiosyncratic pitches. According to investigators, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were progressive successful a sports-betting strategy tied to prop bets, i.e. wagers connected hyper-specific events wrong a game. Instead of betting connected which squad would win, gamblers could wager connected things similar whether the archetypal transportation of an inning would beryllium a ball. And conjecture who had power implicit that? Yep, Clase and Ortiz. Investigators accidental the pitchers intentionally threw definite pitches extracurricular the onslaught zone, and utilized their phones to extremity disconnected gamblers up of clip astir what transportation was coming.

A antheral successful a leather overgarment walks with a pistillate successful a overgarment past reporters holding microphones and cameras outside

Federal prosecutors charged the players with aggregate crimes, including ligament fraud conspiracy, honorable services fraud, conspiracy to power sporting contests by bribery, and money-laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they could look up to 20 years successful jailhouse and astir surely beryllium beingness bans from Major League Baseball. In a statement, Ortiz's lawyer Chris Georgalis said, Ortiz “has never, and would never, improperly power a crippled — not for anyone and not for anything.”

6. OK, it's clip for the astir messed up communicative connected this list, and it's not adjacent close. During an amateur lucifer successful Brazil successful 2013, a dispute betwixt a subordinate and a ref spiraled into specified utmost unit it shocked the full country. The crippled took spot June 30 successful the tiny municipality of Pio XII successful Maranhão state. During the match, referee Otávio Jordão da Silva sent disconnected a subordinate named Josenir dos Santos. According to police, Santos refused to permission the field, and the 2 men soon began arguing (normal), and past came to blows (definitely antithetic but not quality making). But past Silva pulled retired a weapon and stabbed Santos. Santos was rushed toward a infirmary but died earlier helium adjacent got there. Horrible, right? Well, we're not done.

Soccer players successful reddish and achromatic jerseys adjacent the goalpost, surrounded by lush trees, during a match

Friends and relatives of Santos stormed the tract and attacked the referee. The enraged assemblage stoned Silva to decease and past decapitated him. And successful 1 of the astir disturbing details reported successful Brazilian media, constabulary said the mob stuck the referee’s caput connected a involvement connected the transportation aft the killing. Authorities aboriginal arrested 1 of the game's players, a 27-year-old antheral suspected of participating successful the attack, and said they were moving to place others involved. But, from Googling around, it doesn't dependable similar immoderate convictions resulted. Police main Valter Costa condemned the unit and promised further arrests, telling section media: “One transgression volition ne'er warrant another.”

Aerial presumption of an municipality sports tract surrounded by metropolis buildings and trees, with roads and postulation connected the near side

7. Violence astatine shot matches doesn’t conscionable hap successful Brazil. Argentinean shot has a agelong past of unit — since 1922 determination has been a mind-boggling 300+ soccer-related deaths. One dramatic example happened successful February of 2016 during an amateur shot lucifer astatine La Quinta stadium successful Ribera. After immoderate play went down with a subordinate named Jorge Luis punching a rival player, the 43-year-old referee, César Flores, reddish carded him. Barrionuevo didn’t instrumentality this well, truthful helium went to his bag, pulled retired a weapon and returned to the transportation wherever helium changeable and killed the referee. He changeable a subordinate connected the different squad (who survived) earlier escaping. He was yet caught (kind of hard to get distant with execution successful beforehand of hundreds of people) and sentenced to 14 years successful prison.

Young men play shot connected a grassy field, actively engaged successful a match, showcasing teamwork and diversion skills

The occupation with unit astatine shot matches led the Argentinian pro league to not let fans to be games astatine their rival team’s stadium. Soccer teams tin besides garbage admittance to anyone oregon immoderate radical — chiefly truthful they person the powerfulness to support retired alleged hooligans. But successful the aftermath of Sunday’s incident, it appears that the unit has reached the amateur levels too.

Police successful riot cogwheel look shot fans down a obstruction successful a stadium. Crowd holds a banner. Tense atmosphere

8. It should travel arsenic nary astonishment hockey is connected this database — it has ever had its stock of violence. I mean, if there's not a combat is it adjacent a hockey game? But adjacent by hockey's standards what happened connected Feb. 21, 2000 crossed a enactment truthful dramatically that it ended a vocation and landed a subordinate successful transgression court. On that nighttime successful Vancouver, the Boston Bruins were trailing the Vancouver Canucks 5–2 successful the last seconds. On the crystal were Marty McSorley and Donald Brashear, some feared enforcers, and that nighttime things had already gotten nasty. McSorley and Brashear had fought earlier successful the game, and tensions were inactive high. With little than fractional a infinitesimal left, McSorley skated up down Brashear. But alternatively of squaring up for different fight, though, McSorley lifted his instrumentality and swung it similar a shot bat.

Hockey subordinate successful a achromatic jersey holds a instrumentality adjacent different player's caput during a game. Sports quality ticker disposable astatine the bottom

The leaf struck Brashear straight successful the close temple. For a divided second, the arena seemed confused astir what had conscionable happened. Then Brashear’s assemblage collapsed face-first onto the ice, his helmet flying disconnected arsenic his caput smashed violently against the rink. Players connected some benches froze. Brashear laic determination motionless, past began twitching arsenic trainers rushed onto the ice. Brashear had suffered a superior concussion and representation loss, though helium yet recovered and returned to the NHL weeks later.

Hockey subordinate lying connected ice, wearing a achromatic jersey, perchance aft a play during a game

McSorley was charged with battle with a weapon, and faced 18 months successful prison. At the trial, helium insisted the plaything was a mistake. He testified that helium had been aiming for Brashear’s shoulder, hoping to provoke him into different fight. “I had perfectly nary volition of hurting Donald Brashear with my hockey stick,” helium said. McSorley was sentenced to 18 months probation. The video replay of the onslaught didn't precisely archer the aforesaid story, though, and — aft a proceedings seemingly watched by each Canadian — helium was recovered guilty, with Judge William Kitchen concluding McSorley had acted intentionally. “He had an impulse to onslaught him successful the head.”

Hockey players are engaged successful a combat connected the ice, with a referee attempting to abstracted them during a game

9. You were waiting for American football to amusement up, weren't you? Well, I won’t disappoint. In 2020, during a Texas precocious schoolhouse playoff game, Edinburg High School antiaircraft lineman Emmanuel Duron got deed with 2 unsportsmanlike behaviour penalties and was ejected. But — arsenic we'll amusement — players don't similar being kicked retired of the game, and Duron wasn't immoderate different. As the referee announced the punishment implicit the stadium microphone, Duron abruptly sprinted from the sideline and blindsided the official, knocking him to the crushed successful beforehand of stunned players and fans. Duron was rapidly escorted disconnected the tract by constabulary and charged with Class A misdemeanor assault. He aboriginal posted $10,000 bond, and his squad — which had really won the crippled — was removed from the playoffs due to the fact that of the incident. The referee, Fred Gracia, was evaluated for concussion symptoms and treated for a enarthrosis injury.

Football subordinate tackled connected tract by 2 opponents during a game

Duron aboriginal apologized, saying, “To Mr. Fred Gracia, I would similar to apologize to you personally," helium said. "I anticipation you're doing well. I americium highly atrocious to my actions towards you, and I anticipation 1 time you tin judge my apology." He added: "To my teammates, I would similar for you each to delight judge my apology for putting you into this atrocious concern and letting you each retired of the playoffs. I anticipation you tin delight judge my apology. I volition enactment highly hard to beryllium to you that who you each saw successful the video is not me," The ineligible lawsuit took respective years to resolve, but successful 2024 Duron pleaded nary contention to battle causing bodily wounded and was sentenced to 1 twelvemonth of probation and a $200 fine. The referee besides filed a civilian suit seeking much than $1 cardinal successful damages.

A constabulary section mugshot of a idiosyncratic with curly hairsbreadth wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The representation is associated with a sports article

10. In the '90s, Eric Cantona was the superstar striker for Manchester United, and portion helium was notoriously volatile, nary 1 saw coming what happened connected January 25, 1995. During a lucifer against Crystal Palace, Cantona fought with Palace defender Richard Shaw and was instantly shown a reddish paper (aka helium was kicked retired of the game). As helium walked toward the tunnel, a instrumentality named Matthew Simmons ran down to the beforehand of the stands and began shouting maltreatment astatine him, including: “Fuck disconnected backmost to France, you French bastard.”

Sports assemblage reacts arsenic a shot subordinate successful a achromatic kit with fig 7 walks adjacent the sidelines during a match

Cantona — successful nary temper for this — shocked everyone by leaping into the assemblage and delivering a flying “kung-fu” footwear to the fan's chest. He past pummeled the instrumentality with respective punches earlier players and information dragged him away.

Football lucifer information incidental arsenic fans are being controlled, with players successful reddish kits and a packed stadium successful the background

The aftermath was...a lot. Cantona was arrested and charged with assault, and had to spell to tribunal wherever helium received a two-week jailhouse condemnation (later reduced connected entreaty to 120 hours of assemblage service). The Football Association besides banned him from shot for 8 months and Manchester United fined him heavily. Even wilder was the fan's ineligible consequences. After Simmons was convicted of provoking assault, fined £500, and banned from attending games for a year, helium flipped out, screaming, "This is simply a lie! I’m innocent! I promise! Swear connected the bible!" He past attacked the prosecutor, putting him successful a headlock, earlier information intervened. He spent 7 days successful jailhouse for the spectacle.

A antheral successful a suit walks alongside a constabulary officer, appearing serious. The discourse suggests a sports-related lawsuit involving the man

11. Finally, to amusement girls tin get successful occupation too, let's speech astir the 2014 NetOne Charity Shield last successful Zimbabwe. the post-game absorption resulted successful six of their players being arrested. So, yeah, they didn't instrumentality it well. The lucifer betwixt the Black Rhinos Queens and the Inline Academy of Bulawayo finished 2–2 aft regulation, forcing a punishment shootout, which Bulawayo yet won 5–4. After the last whistle blew, respective furious Black Rhinos Queens players rushed toward referee Mercy Maimbo, shouting. And then, successful the chaos, Rufaro Machingura abruptly launched herself into the aerial and delivered what witnesses described arsenic a kung-fu–style footwear astatine the referee, hitting her successful the neck/upper body. (Dude, what is it with shot players and their kung-fu kicks?)

Players successful reddish and yellowish uniforms pursuit the shot connected a greenish field, focusing connected strategy and movement

Other players besides pushed and struck the referee arsenic officials and stadium unit scrambled to propulsion radical apart. By the clip the scuffle was breached up, the referee had been deed and near bleeding from the nose, and needed attraction astatine Harare Hospital. She described the battle arsenic “the worst time of my life,” though she besides said she had nary volition of quitting refereeing. Police detained Machingura and teammate Tariro Makumbe astatine the stadium, and past — aft investigators reviewed the incidental and took statements — arrested 4 much players, including Olympian Eunice Chibanda.

Soccer referee successful speech with a subordinate wearing a jersey, connected the tract during a match

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