In the wake of St. Bonaventure winning the Atlantic 10 men’s basketball championship, a security guard at UD Arena was seen putting a student photographer into a choke hold.
Nathan DeSutter, St. Bonaventure’s digital media director, was trying to get video of the team celebrating their win when a security guard approached him and asked him to move off the court. DeSutter tried to evade the security guard multiple times until the security guard finally caught him, put him in a choke hold and removed him from the court.
Due to COVID-19, security at UD Arena had been told to be extra vigilant in keeping fans and media off the court while the winning team celebrated. Media members had apparently been warned to stay in their seats, but DeSutter was a full-time St. Bonaventure employee and a member of the team’s traveling party.
According to Yahoo Sports, DeSutter had been regularly tested alongside the players and coaches, and he wore a Tier 1 credential granting him permission to be on the court.
Context to this photo, which was taken moments after the conclusion of the A10 Championship game between St. Bonaventure and VCU... pic.twitter.com/vSoXZSQ4gh
— Griffin Quinn (@griffinpquinn) March 14, 2021
“It was a misunderstanding of access between security and the Bonnes videographer,” a source within the Atlantic 10 told Yahoo Sports. “Security guards, especially in COVID times, are trained to keep media off the court, but this guy was allowed to be out there.”
The St. Bonaventure players actually stopped their celebration, apparently confused as to why their photographer was being hauled away.
Watch the players!!!
— Billy Quach (@billyquachfilms) March 14, 2021
They stopped celebrating because they were confused why THEIR OWN videographer was getting restrained from covering them. pic.twitter.com/r7j0oZ0pVO
“The players on the team were like, ‘Yo, what’s going on? He works with us,’ said Griffin Quinn, a photographer on site who caught a dramatic picture of the choke hold being administered. “They were celebrating, but they noticed something was up. Members of the coaching staff went over and talked to the security guard and then ultimately the videographer was allowed back on the court.”
St. Bonaventure coaches and players came to the DeSutter’s rescue and ran after the security guard.
St. Bonaventure defeated VCU on Sunday with a final score of 74-65.
