HOUSTON – The Houston Astros have been hit with a lawsuit alleging they falsely arrested two fans during game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
Seeking up to $1 million in damages, Benjamin Oehlert and Brandon Day filed suit against the ball club on April 15 in Harris County District Court.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs “had been huge” fans of the Astros and grew up cheering for the “Killer Bs.” So when they bought tickets to game 7 of the World Series against the Nationals, it “was something of a dream” to watch their team “play a game in the highest stakes imaginable.”
However, during the bottom of the fifth inning, ballpark security and deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department made the plaintiffs get up out of their seats and arrested them in open view of everyone.
“Plaintiffs were then placed in a holding cell with drunks and others who had acted out at the game,” the suit states. “Of course, Plaintiffs had done nothing wrong. Even though Plaintiffs explained their purchase of the tickets, Defendants continued to detain them and pursued criminal charges against them.”
Charges were pressed and the men hired a criminal defense attorney. A judge dismissed the charges “because there was never probable cause to arrest them,” the suit states.
The men allege the Astros falsely imprisoned them and maliciously prosecuted them.
On top of exemplary damages, they are suing for their mental anguish and harm to reputation.
Attorney Brandon Kinard of the KGS Law Group represents them.