Teen streaks across field at football game in Butler

I was never that keen on school sports and if some guy had streaked through a match that I'd gotta watch/play I'd have chased him. That would have been real fun...

17-year-old faces charges of aggravated assault, lewdness, resisting arrest

BUTLER -- A naked and elusive 17-year-old boy ran the length of the football field at a Butler High School game against Millburn on Friday night, police said.

Spectators gaped in astonishment when the boy, whose identity was withheld by police, ran onto the field just before 9, broke a police officer's tackle and dashed through the end zone.

He "didn't look like one of the players," cracked Butler police Capt. Jay Dean.

The streaker was eventually corralled by up to five police officers in a nearby parking lot.

"I would imagine it was a student prank," Dean said on Tuesday.

The bizarre incident happened during the third quarter. Butler went on to win, 28-24.

Butler football coach Dan Hoeflinger said the streaker was a local high school student and fan of the team who went way too far.

Hoeflinger, focused on the game, didn't immediately realize why spectators were whooping it up.

"I only saw him after he went by," Hoeflinger said on Tuesday evening.

"I would've preferred it not to happen," the coached added.

Dean said that Police Officer Keith Soules was in hot pursuit as the boy sprinted down the field.

"The refs were sort of taken back for a second," the coach recalled of the scene.

With Soules closing in, the boy broke a tackle -- injuring the officer's arm -- and sprinted through the end zone and into the parking lot.

It might well have been the longest run of the night.

"He did the entire field,"Dean said.

The streaker was eventually brought down in the parking lot.

He was flagged by police for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and lewdness.

Soules was treated for an arm injury at Chilton Memorial Hospital.

Dean said police released information on the incident on Tuesday, four days later, in response to numerous inquir-ies.

Hoeflinger said he didn't know whether the high school would take any disciplinary action.

"It's not part of the game," the coach said of the teen's actions.

"Some people would see this as enthusiasm. I don't particularly see it that way," he said.

"If he was running around painted blue-and-gold, I don't have a problem with that," Hoeflinger said, adding that there was no excuse for nudity or running on the field.

BY ROB JENNINGS
DAILY RECORD