The man who threw a can of beer at US Senator Ted Cruz during the Houston Astros’ World Series victory parade was arrested, the Houston Police Department announced on Monday. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and released with a $ 40,000 bail.
“Beer can hit the senator in the chest/neck area,” reads a tweet from the Houston police. “The senator did not need medical attention.”
The incident occurred on Monday as the Astros were celebrating their 2022 championship after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in the series. The parade stretched three miles through downtown Houston, roughly double the length of the parade route for the 2017 championship celebration.
Beer flies at Ted Cruz during Astros World Series Parade pic.twitter.com/lRALgyXCe2
— Alien Truther Wildwest (@wcgroovy) November 7, 2022
Senator Cruz, who lives in the Houston area, has attended many of the World Series games and the celebrations. He was in the back of a military vehicle waving to the crowd at the parade. A video on social media shows the crowd booing Cruz, and at the end, a can is seen flying right at him.
“As always, I am grateful to the Houston Police and Capitol Police for their swift action. I’m also grateful that the clown who threw his White Claw had a noodle for his arm, “tweeted Cruz.
The arrested man was identified as Joseph Halm Archdeacon, 33. The pleadings filed by the prosecutors accuse Arcidiacono of having “used and exhibited a lethal weapon, i.e., an unopened metal beverage can,” to intentionally strike the Senator.
The NBC-affiliated Houston station reported that a witness saw Arcidiacono run into a barrier wall during the parade. After the incident, the witness grabbed Archdeacon as he tried to escape. According to the report, a prosecutor said Archdeacon told officers: “I know, I’m an idiot. I’m sorry “while he was in custody.
On Wednesday, Archdeacon’s legal team ensured that it was all a misunderstanding. Archdeacon’s attorney, Bill Stradley, released a statement stating that his client was not trying to be abusive. Instead, according to Stradley, Archdeacon was attempting a friendly gesture by throwing the Senator a celebratory drink.
“The night before the parade, Joey texted a friend: ‘My dream would be to throw a beer at one of the players. I doubt that would happen, haha, but it would be epic,'” the statement read.
Stradley noted that fans always throw drinks at people during championship parades “so they’ll drink.”
“This was stupid, very funny. It ended up not being fun,” the statement read. “Joey apologizes for how his actions alarmed Senator Cruz, his family, and his security team and ruined a beautiful holiday for millions of Houstonians. With this fuller context, we plead for mercy and hope Senator Cruz will decline to support the allegations.”
