INDIANAPOLIS - A spectator at a Franklin Township youth football game was arrested Saturday after he rushed onto the field, threatened game officials, then bit two Metro Police officers.
Police say DeJuan Wells, 27, ran onto the field with seconds remaining in the game, in which his five-year-old son was playing. He was yelling profanities and was confronted by the league commissioner, Tyre Shelton, who asked him to stop using the profanities and leave the property.
"Then he was also angry that the call, it was a fumble, the other team picked up the ball and made a touchdown. He thought it was a bad call. Most of us thought they are 5-6 year olds, they are laughing, having a good time," said IMPD Officer Tyneka Poland.
As Shelton started to escort Wells off the field, the man turned around and ran back toward the referees, continuing to use loud profanities. Shelton blocked his path and again ordered him off the property.
Pointing at the officials, Wells said, "I'm waiting right here for one of you, I'm not leaving without you, we are going do to this right here." The threats were heard by other spectators, several of whom called 911 to request police.
Poland and Detective Scott Childers, who were off-duty, were at the game and approached Wells. Two other officers moved down to the field. Childers identified himself as a police officer and asked Wells to leave the property.
"You can't arrest me," Wells replied to the detective.
As the man took an aggressive stance toward the officer, with his fists clenched, Childers attempted to place him under arrest. Wells bit Childers' upper arm, then bit Officer Poland's middle finger when she tried to assist the detective.
"Mr. Wells would not relinquish his bite until I administered a strike to his face," said the detective.
"So after the other officer was bitten very severely, I had no choice, really, but to help get control of him and that is when he bit me, also," Poland said.
The other officers at the scene assisted and were able to place Wells under arrest as he continued to resist.
The kids on the field, including Wells' son, watched the entire confrontation take place.
"(We) explained to him that we were the police, we weren't just parents. Because we were not in uniform, we did not look like the police, I didn't want him to think that some parents from the other team came over and did this to his dad," Poland said.
Wells was placed under arrest for battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting law enforcement, battery by bodily waste, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. He remains at the Marion County Jail.
Witnesses say Wells was also asked to leave a practice and a scrimmage earlier in the season.
"It embarrasses the community, it embarrasses all of the children and that man's family," said Poland.
Poland and Childers went to Methodist Occupational Health for medical treatment of their bite wounds and were later released.
Suspect DeJuan Wells
An IMPD detective was bitten on the upper arm.
Officer Tyneka Poland was bitten on the hand by the man.
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