After viral videos show fights at Arrowhead, Chiefs say security gets high marks

A pair of viral videos of fist-flying brawls between fans at Arrowhead Stadium have once again focused attention on fan safety at NFL games.

The latest altercation occurred in the stands last Sunday between two Kansas City Chiefs superfans. In video of the fight, one fan known as “X-Factor,” whose name is Ty Rowton, is seen being punched by another fan, Tim Oerman, who goes by moniker “Red Xtreme.”

The video showed X-Factor cascading down a flight of stadium stairs as Red Xtreme stood over him. The video quickly went viral and before it was taken down, it had been viewed more than a million times on Twitter.

It was the second physical altercation to occur in the last two home games.

“There just doesn’t seem to be ANY crowd control,” one fan, a new season ticket holder, wrote in to The Star.

Kansas City police previously told The Star, they had some 200 officers, both uniformed and plainclothes, patrol the stadium and parking lots at each game. Sometimes police will don the jerseys of opposing teams.

Hundreds of law enforcement personnel provide security inside and outside Arrowhead. The stadium has a security force that includes Kansas City police officers, Jackson County deputies, private security guards and federal authorities.

Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City police declined to speak about the recent altercation and provide specific details about stadium security plans. Neither would comment on the number of arrests that have been made so far this year. In 2016, the Chiefs averaged about two arrests per game, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.

The Chiefs on Wednesday responded to specific questions about security protocols with a statement.

“The venue consistently receives high marks and ranks in the top tier of the NFL’s stadium security and fan conduct best practices audits,” the organization said in the statement.

“In addition to the layered security approach at the stadium, the club has received the Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act Designation after a rigorous evaluation process that measures our compliance with a multitude of standards relating to fan safety and security,” the team continued.

Football stadiums returned to full capacity this season after COVID-19 restrictions forced only a limited number of fans a year ago.

Sports Illustrated reported in September that unruly fans and misbehavior among spectators appeared to be on the rise.

Maj. Ryan Mills with KCPD said the department is still part of the multi-layered security process at the stadium.

“Arrowhead, I believe, has consistently done very well in identifying and mitigating threats to security at the stadium,” Mills said in an email to The Star.

Following the altercation last Sunday, Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté said a deputy issued general summons for trespassing and intoxication.

Flying fists

A fight that happened earlier this month was also captured on video. It showed several people involved in a brawl that spilled out among football fans in the Stadium during the Chiefs game against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 26.

The altercation involved a handful of fans. One man was beaten until he appeared to lose consciousness. Four were arrested, two at the scene of the fight that Sunday, and additional warrants are being issued for others involved, Forté said at the time.

Criminal charges were later filed against those who took part in the fight. Crimes allegedly committed by the group included disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and providing false information to law enforcement, Forté said.

Video of the altercation was viewed more than 32,000 times before it was removed from YouTube.

In April, Jackson County prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against R&B artist Trey Songz who allegedly punched a Kansas City police officer during the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium earlier this year.

That incident, captured on surveillance video, showed Songz, whose name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, punch and put the officer in a headlock.

The altercation happened, police said, when fans complained during the game about a man who was not wearing a mask, and was not following the Arrowhead fan code of conduct or the “mandates of the Kansas City Missouri Health Department.”

Reporting misconduct

In addition to a highly visible security presence at Arrowhead, the team educates fans with messages throughout the stadium promoting a code of conduct and encouraging fans to report incidents before they escalate, police have said.

The team also trains its guest-services staff to find ways to interact more with fans before problems arise. The NFL has sent evaluators to home games to review stadium security measures.

Unruly fans can be detained and taken to a stadium-security office that has a holding room. They are kept there until a police wagon can take them to one of the city’s patrol stations.

The team said guests who violate the stadium’s Fan Code of Conduct are subject to discipline up to and including banishment from the stadium.

Guests may also be subject to legal prosecution, in which case law enforcement will make a decision independent of the club and will process individuals in accordance with the rules of criminal procedure in Jackson County, they said.

Three years ago, the team implemented a new tailgating policy that requires ticket holders to move into the stadium and those without tickets out of the parking lot. The new policy followed a best practice recommendation from the NFL.

The team asks fans to report problems using an anonymous text line. Fans are instructed to give their section number and the issue they want security staff to address.

“While the club and venue are proud of the safety and security measures that are in place at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the reality is that incidents can occur,” according to the organization’s statement. “Any incident that arises is addressed as swiftly as possible.”