Penn State police won’t charge retired Eagles center Jason Kelce over cellphone incident with a fan
Penn State University police will not charge retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce after investigating an altercation with a fan over a cellphone before a Nov. 2 home game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State.
University Police and Public Safety public information officer Jacqueline Sheader confirmed in an email to the Associated Press on Tuesday night that the case has been closed. The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that the investigation was closed without charges against Kelce.
Sheader’s email added that the individual in a video that went viral on social media has not been identified, and no one has come forward to police with a complaint about damage to personal property.
The initial police department incident log listed an entry in which an officer observed a visitor damaging personal property.
Video on social media showed Kelce walking through a crowd near Beaver Stadium and fans asking for photos and fist bumps when one fan began to heckle Kelce and appeared to shout an anti-gay slur about his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, for dating pop star Taylor Swift.
Video showed Kelce grabbing the fan’s phone and throwing it to the ground, then turning to confront the man dressed in Penn State attire. Kelce appeared to use the same anti-gay slur during the exchange before another fan stepped between them before the altercation could escalate.
Kelce later apologized during ESPN’s Monday Night Football pregame show.
“In a heated moment, I decided to greet hate with hate,” Kelce said before the broadcast of the Buccaneers-Chiefs game. “I fell short this week.”
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