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Jets Game Stung Gun Guy Says He Zapped Marine In Self-Defense
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 14, 2011
Modified Sep 16, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 14, 2011
Modified Sep 16, 2011
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The South Carolina man who was charged with aggravated assault and weapons possession for allegedly firing a stun gun during a fight at MetLife stadium Sunday says he zapped in self-defense. 59-year-old Larry McKelvey, a Cowboys fan, was attending the game with his fiance, Gloria Dargin, when trouble started with some Jets fans, one of whom is a Marine who was reportedly angered when the couple remained seated during the National Anthem. But Dargin insists they're not unpatriotic: "We did not stand up, not disrespecting our country, we weren't standing up because of our medical reasons," she tells the local TV station.
Dargin did not elaborate on what their medical reasons were, but she maintains McKelvey was defending her. When she tried to leave the row to use the bathroom toward the end of the second quarter, others in the row wouldn't budge to let her out. "I said 'Sir, excuse me. What's the matter? Why you acting like this?' " Dargin recalls. "I said 'Sir, I need to use the restroom now. I don't know what your problem is.' "
Then, according to Dargin, one of the men intentionally bumped her to provoke McKelvey. "Larry was really protecting me," she tells CBS 5. "When Larry punched him, they went down. I've got bruises on my leg, on the back of my thigh, I got kicked in the head... I heard the stun gun, before I saw the stun gun. I'm not going to lie. I heard the bzzzz, but to see him with a stun gun I didn't see it." You can also hear that dreadful zapping sound on the video:
McKelvey's son, Power 105.1 DJ Charlamagne Tha God, took to the airwaves this week to defend his father, a Jehovah's Witness whose religion, according to his son, prohibits him from standing during the national anthem. As for the stun gun, "he didn't sneak it in. It was right on his hip. A higher power absolutely knew there was going to be some jerks in the stands who would assault him." After being released on $225,000 bail, McKelvey told the Daily News, "Don't make be out to be a criminal. I was just doing what I had to do to protect myself." No one was seriously injured during the fracas, which took place on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, with George W. Bush in attendance.
Tagged
9/11
Jehovah's Witness
jets game
larry mckelvey
stun gun
taser
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
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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