Police Launching Investigation Into Patrick Beverley Tossing Ball At Pacers Fans
Patrick Beverley ended his short playoff run with the Milwaukee Bucks this year in embarrassing fashion: tossing a basketball at a group of Indiana Pacers fans sitting behind the Bucks bench last Thursday.
In the aftermath of the ugly scene (on Beverley's behalf), the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is now getting involved with an investigation looking into the altercation between Beverley and the fans.
Beverley hit a female fan on the head with the thrown ball as part of a heated exchange with a neighboring fan. He tossed the ball at a man he'd been jawing with, missed his target, and hit the woman. The 35-year-old guard received the ball back after a fan returned it, but Beverley threw it back at the fans out of rage.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 30: Patrick Beverley #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to a score during the second half of game five of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on April 30, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
According to The Athletic, an off-duty officer was present at Gainbridge Fieldhouse the night Beverley tossed the ball and brought forward details from his first-hand account.
"Detectives are working with Gainbridge Fieldhouse to review video footage and plan to speak with the parties involved," The Athletic relayed Wednesday.
"The report has been forwarded to IMPD detectives, who are currently investigating this situation and take all accusations seriously," IMPD said in a statement. Filing for an investigation was submitted last Thursday, according to The Athletic.
The IMPD spokesperson noted that following the department's investigation, Beverley's case will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to Beverley's side of the story, the fans shouted ‘obscenities’ at him and his teammates. None of the fans' yelling appeared to grab players' attention on the Bucks bench, going slightly against Beverley's testimony that he threw the ball after hearing a foul word that he's ‘never’ been called before.
Eyewitnesses at Gainbridge Fieldhouse attested to hearing the fans shouting at the Bucks but yelling a fairly harmless "Cancun on three" jab. Most NBA fans now allude to Cancun as a euphemism for getting booted from contention, which the Bucks did, playing without Giannis Antetokoumpo, in six games.
For many, the scene last Thursday was consistent with Beverley's past behavior, which fails to take accountability regardless of the action.
Both the IMPD and NBA are investigating the Beverley incident.
The player also caught heat for dismissing a female ESPN reporter's questions that night after discovering the woman was not subscribed to Beverley's podcast.
Like Draymond Green, Beverley's history of antics starts to work against his defense in the matter.
The NBA has not disciplined Beverley for lashing out and hitting the fan(s) but could still face a steep sentence for staining the league's name with the cheap shot.
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 30: Patrick Beverley #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks signals during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 1 Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2024 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images).
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