Theater Pepper Spray Arrest
Man Arrested After Pepper-Spraying Cellphone User During Burbank Movie Screening
Anonymous
Key Points
1
The incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, during a late-afternoon screening, and police said the confrontation happened roughly 40 minutes into the film.
2
Witness Joe Rodriguez said the patron was scrolling with his phone brightness turned all the way down, and that Ware initially asked him to turn it off before allegedly using the spray when he refused.
3
A witness reported that the theater did not stop the movie until about 15 minutes after the incident, according to a Reddit post describing the episode.
4
The Reddit account said Ware was photographed being handcuffed in the lobby while wearing a T-shirt from the 2016 slasher film “Terrifier.”
5
Ware declined to give CBS Los Angeles his side of the incident and hung up when contacted for comment.
A 34-year-old Los Angeles man was arrested after pepper-spraying a moviegoer during a screening of "The Uprising" at AMC Burbank 16 on September 15, according to Syracuse. Matthew Ware confronted the patron roughly 40 minutes into the film over his cellphone use, then sprayed him after he refused to turn it off. The spray affected three people total, who were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Witnesses said Ware fled the theater but was detained in the lobby by police. He was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery. The theater offered refunds to all attendees, and the incident quickly went viral online, drawing mixed reactions from users debating cellphone etiquette in cinemas.
Phone Use Escalates Into Theater Confrontation
Witness Joe Rodriguez told reporters the patron had his phone brightness turned all the way down while scrolling, Lehigh Valley Live reported. Ware initially asked him to put the phone away. When the moviegoer refused, Ware allegedly pepper-sprayed him roughly 30 to 40 minutes into the film.
Two additional moviegoers were caught in the spray cloud. All three victims required hospital treatment for their injuries. A witness later posted about the incident on Reddit, noting the theater did not pause the movie for about 15 minutes after the confrontation.
Suspect Detained After Fleeing Theater Lobby
Ware left the screening room after the spray but was caught by police in the AMC Burbank 16 lobby, PennLive stated. Officers photographed him in handcuffs wearing a T-shirt from the 2016 horror film "Terrifier." He was booked on misdemeanor battery charges and remained in custody.
When contacted by AL.com, Ware declined to comment on his side of the story and hung up the phone. Police have not released additional details about potential motive or prior incidents involving the suspect.
Online Debate Sparks Over Movie Theater Etiquette
The incident drew widespread attention on social media and online forums. Some users criticized the spray attack as excessive. Others, however, expressed frustration with cellphone use during movies, framing Ware's actions as an extreme response to a common theater annoyance.
The AMC Burbank 16 offered full refunds to all moviegoers who attended the screening that day. Theater management has not announced any new policies in response to the incident, MassLive reported.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
19
Articles
72
Reach
91
A
AnonymousAuthor
