Toronto police have charged a man with mischief after a beer can was thrown at a Baltimore Orioles player during their wild-card game against the Blue Jays.
Ken Pagan, an employee of Postmedia, contacted police late Wednesday night to tell them he was the man in a photograph police had circulated, but he denied throwing the can.
Pagan, 41, turned himself in to police at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. He was charged with one count of mischief and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24.
The photograph released by police shows Pagan standing in the crowd staring straight ahead while surrounding fans stare at him. He told the Toronto Sun that he was drinking out of a plastic cup and not a beer can.
CTV Toronto’s Austin Delaney reported Thursday that a police source confirmed there are images of Pagan drinking out of a plastic cup, but there is also high-definition video evidence which clearly shows the suspect holding a beer can in one hand and flicking it in an underhand throw onto the outfield.
The image of Pagan set off a firestorm when it was circulated on social media, with many users sharing the photo in an attempt to pinpoint the suspect. The Toronto Sun even offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who could identify him before it was revealed that Pagan was a Postmedia employee, which owns The Toronto Sun.
None of the allegations against Pagan have been proven in court. Delaney reported that Pagan has contacted a lawyer and is expected to turn himself in to police.
Toronto police said they are continuing to work with Rogers Centre officials on the investigation.
With a report from CTV Toronto and files from the Canadian Press
