Man Detained for Disruptive Behavior with Toy at WNBA Game in Phoenix: Police Report

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona man was arrested after police say he threw a sex toy into the crowd at a WNBA game in Phoenix, the latest in a series of similar disturbances at arenas across the league over several days.

Police say the 18-year-old pulled the sex toy from his sweater pocket at Tuesday’s matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun and threw it toward seats in front of him, striking a spectator in the back.

The man later told police it was a prank that had been trending on social media and that he bought the toy a day earlier to take to the game. He was later tackled by a volunteer at the arena who had witnessed the incident and began following him as the man tried to leave the arena.

Police say the man was arrested on suspicion of assault, disorderly conduct and publicly displaying explicit sexual material.

Over the last week, sex toys have been thrown onto the courts at games in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago. A sex toy landed near Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham after it was thrown from the stands in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Players have said throwing the toys at games is disrespectful and potentially dangerous.