Fan who attacked Nationals usher is a Washington firefighter already on leave
The fan who allegedly attacked an usher during a Washington Nationals game on Tuesday has been identified as a firefighter currently on administrative leave.
Christopher Sullivan of Charles Town, West Virginia, was placed on administrative leave “in a separate personnel matter” on Aug. 31, a rep for the DC Fire and EMS confirmed to Fox 5 DC. The DC Fire and EMS also condemned the 54-year-old’s behavior in a statement.
“The actions witnessed in the video are absolutely unacceptable. Our department was notified on September 27, 2022, that an employee of our agency had been arrested and charged with simple assault by Metropolitan Police. Prior to this incident, the individual was on administrative leave with pay, pending the outcome of an internal personnel process,” the statement read.
“He will remain on leave as our internal investigation into this matter continues.”
Footage of the incident went viral on social media this week, which showed Sullivan getting physical with an usher. Sullivan told CBS affiliate WUSA9 that he was looking for a friend with season tickets upon entering the field-level section at Nationals Park.
Upon heckling Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna, Sullivan is said to have attracted the attention of guest services staffers. An usher attempted to keep Sullivan moving up a set of stairs, with the latter appearing to strike the worker. Sullivan appeared bloodied as a result of the confrontation.
Sullivan was arrested for simple assault stemming from Tuesday’s incident and has since been banned from Nationals Park for five years.