Security Pepper Sprays Visiting Soccer Fan at Citypark Stadium

The incident led to the evacuation of a section of Club América supporters

Jul 28, 2023 at 4:29 pm

Altercation in the @ClubAmerica section at #CityPARK #LeaguesCup2023 #LeaguesCup #AllForCity pic.twitter.com/jc7CFbz62y
— SunshineClarity (@SunshineClarity) July 28, 2023

The St. Louis County Police Department say that they are investigating the use of pepper spray by an off duty police officer working secondary security at last night's soccer game at Citypark stadium downtown.

The incident happened in the 201 section of Citypark as City SC played Mexico City's Club América as part of Leagues Cup play. The majority, if not all, of the fans in the section were supporting Club América.

Several videos posted to social media show the aftermath of the pepper spray being deployed, as numerous fans have shirts pulled over their faces and flee their seats into the stadium's concourse. Several officers grapple with one man, but it is unclear to what end they are trying to get him to comply.

Eventually, more than half a dozen police officers are on the scene and the section where the pepper spray was deployed is evacuated. As fans are making their way out of the section, a large banner that is a mashup of the Chicago city flag and a Club América logo is taken down. A police officer and a Club América fan engage in a brief tug of war over it, but the fan eventually lets go, shrugging.

As the last people are filtering out of that section, in the one right above someone sets off a yellow-colored smoke bomb, creating a cloud visible from all areas of the stadium. Club América's team colors are blue and yellow, and at past games the team's fans have set off yellow smoke bombs as a show of support.

Sergeant Charles Wall with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says that he doesn't have any information about on-duty SLMPD officers responding to an incident at the stadium. However, he added, "I understand that there was some type of disturbance involving fans and that an off-duty St. Louis County Police Department officer deployed oleoresin capsicum spray, which is more commonly referred to as pepper spray."

It is still unclear the nature of the disturbance that led the county police officer to use the pepper spray.

"An internal investigation is being conducted in accordance with our use of force policy," said St. Louis County Police Department public information officer Tracy Panus.