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Intentionally Puking Phillies Fan Pleads Guilty
By
John Del Signore
Published May 25, 2010
Modified May 25, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 25, 2010
Modified May 25, 2010
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You may recall, with revulsion, the story of New Jersey's Matthew Clemmens, who was arrested after he induced vomiting onto a man and his daughters at a Phillies-Nationals game in April. Today Clemmens, 21, pleaded guilty to simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment, and agreed with the prosecution's version of what happened that night: Apparently, the discord between Clemmens and the family one row in front of him arose from all the cursing and spitting perpetrated by Clemmens and his buddy.
After the spit landed on one of his daughters, off-duty police captain Michael Vangelo asked the two to cut it out. Then his 15-year-old daughter asked the two boors to stop cursing. Neither request was honored, and so Vangelo complained to security, who ejected Clemmens's pal from the stadium. Not long after, Clemmens was heard on his cell phone saying, "I need to do what I need to do. I'm going to get sick." That's when he stood up, stuck a finger down his throat and vomited.
Most of it sprayed on Vangelo, but some puke landed on Vangelo's 11-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say Clemmens then punched the dad several times in the head—cutting his ear and face—until other fans in the stands subdued him and he was arrested, screamed expletives and flipping everyone off. Outside court, his public defender told reporters, "It's probable he consumed too much alcohol."
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John Del Signore
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
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