Penguins game catfish thrower is happy to be off the hook
Authorities have dropped criminal charges against a Nashville Predators fan who threw a catfish on the ice during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final matchup between the Predators and the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
“Wow, that is awesome,” said the fan, Jacob Deveral Waddell, 36, of Nolensville, Tenn., when contacted Wednesday by the Tribune-Review. He had not yet been informed of the dropped charges.
Pittsburgh police Tuesday filed misdemeanor charges against Waddell for hurling the dead catfish, which he vacuum-packed and hid in his pants, onto the ice. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. announced Wednesday the charges would be dismissed.
“Having reviewed the affidavit involving Mr. Waddell as well as the television coverage of the incident, District Attorney Zappala has made the determination that the actions of Mr. Waddell do not rise to the level of criminal charges,” said a statement from Zappala spokesman Mike Manko. “As such, the three charges filed against Mr. Waddell will be withdrawn in a timely manner.”
After hearing Zappala's statement, Waddell, who was at work, said: “Man, that's great. This really makes me happy. What a crazy couple of days.”
Waddell had been charged with disorderly conduct, disrupting meetings and possessing instruments of crime. He was escorted from the arena without incident.
Manko said Pittsburgh police consulted with the District Attorney's Office before issuing the charges. Under Pennsylvania law, police can bring charges without approval from a district attorney's office. He initially said Zappala's office was not involved in any discussion about the charges.
During a Penguins pep rally Wednesday in Market Square, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he heard “the DA has taken him off the hook.” He said he hoped Waddell had learned a lesson.
“There shouldn't be anything smuggled into arenas that hold 20,000 people, not in the days that we live in,” he said. “Our police did the right thing in taking it seriously. I make light of it only to promote the series with Nashville and stir up the Nashville fans, but in the world that we live in anything being brought into an arena is going to face the toughest scrutiny, including catfish.”
Waddell, who works as a medical sales representative, told a Nashville radio station Tuesday that he understood the disorderly conduct charge but thought the additional charges were unnecessary.
“I mean, a catfish isn't an instrument of whatever the hell they're saying it was, and I didn't disrupt a meeting,” he told The Midday 180 radio show on 104.5 FM on Tuesday. “It was an athletic event.”
Staff writer Bob Bauder contributed. Ben Schmitt is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7991, bschmitt@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @Bencschmitt.
