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Phillies Fan Allegedly Forced Himself to Vomit on Young Girl


By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 16, 2010

Modified Apr 16, 2010


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Matthew Clemmons

 


By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 16, 2010

Modified Apr 16, 2010


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Top this one, rowdy Yankees fans: A New Jersey man has raised the bar on boorishness by intentionally vomiting on an 11-year-old girl in the stands during Wednesday night's Phillies-Nationals game, police say. Clemmens allegedly began trying to force himself to vomit on off-duty police captain Michael Vangelo and his family after his buddy was ejected from the stadium for unruly behavior. Vangelo says he saw Clemmens shove his fingers down his throat, causing him to vomit on his daughter. "It was the most vile, disgusting thing I've ever seen," said Vangelo, "and I've been a cop for 20 years."

The trouble started right in the first inning, when Clemmens and his buddy, who were seated directly behind Vangelo's family, began yelling obscenities. After Vangelo's 15-year-old daughter asked them to cut out the cursing, they quieted down for... a little while. "They started back up," Vangelo tells Philly.com "One guy started spitting . . . first it landed on the back of my daughter's chair. Then it landed on her hooded sweatshirt." Containing his rage with the patience of a saint, Vangelo informed an usher, and Clemmens's companion was bounced. But of course he had to kick it up a notch. Okay, several notches.

After announcing that he was going to be sick, Vangelo says Clemmens "leaned over and put two fingers down his throat... and started vomiting on us." He then repeatdly punched the cop in the head. Still, Vangelo did not retaliate, explaining, "I kept thinking, 'If I get arrested, my kids will be alone here.'" Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, NJ, was arrested (allegedly vomiting more on one of the cops) and charged with simple assault, aggravated assault, harassment, resisting arrest and related offenses. His Phillies went on to win 14 to 7.

Tagged

baseball

baseball fans

nationals

phillies

puke

vomit


John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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