How does that old sports chestnut go, “fight, fight, fight for the home team?”
According to Illinois campus police, that’s precisely what the father of starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase did during his son’s game Saturday. Well, that and not complying with and/or jerking away from someone wearing a badge.
The Champaign News-Gazette reported Sunday that Nathan Creer, Scheelhaase’s father, was arrested inside Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon and charged with resisting a peace officer. The arrest and charge came after an incident involving Creer, who police said appeared to be intoxicated, and several fans in what was technically referred to as a “fight.”
Police officers were called into the stands after an altercation was reported at around 3:30 local time, in the midst of the Illini’s 42-3 loss to Michigan State.
“From what I heard, somebody was intoxicated, words were exchanged, swings were exchanged. We got the parties separated. Some calmed down and went along with the program. Some did not,” UI deputy police chief Skip Frost said.
One of the some (allegedly) was Creer, who was arrested after he pulled away from an officer attempting to remove him from the incident involving upwards of 10 people.
Police were unaware at the time that Creer is related to Scheelhaase.
Creer, who the News-Gazette reports is serving probation after he was arrested for criminal trespassing of an ex-girlfriend’s property in January, was released after posting a $150 bond. He was the only individual arrested, although three others involved in the brouhaha were ejected from the stadium.