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The animal-rights activist who was tackled during the L.A. Rams’ game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night has apparently filed an assault complaint following the incident.
The protester, whom The Guardian identifies as Alex Taylor of Direct Action Everywhere, ran on to the field carrying a pink flare. After evading security, he was tackled by Rams’ linebacker Bobby Wagner, a Super Bowl champion and six-time All Pro. After the tackle, video of the takedown soon went viral.
According to TMZ Sports, the individual was trying to “raise awareness for a trial involving the alleged theft of pigs from a factory farm.”
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However, Wagner remains adamant his mind was focused on the safety of everyone on the field. “Can’t really focus on it,” Wagner recently said. “I’m more concerned about the security guard that was hurt trying to chase him. … You just got to do what you got to do. There’s consequences for your actions.”
#Rams Bobby Wagner DESTROYED streaker on the field #MNF pic.twitter.com/UGkcdKFlcF
— ??????????? (@TheSFNiners) October 4, 2022
“It’s an active investigation,” Lieutenant Cuong Phan said on Wednesday. “I can confirm a person did come in [on Tuesday] at 1.45pm and filed a report. However, it’s an ongoing investigation, so we’re not able to release details at this time.”
“That’s not making a play,” Bobby Wagner said after the game. “That’s just keeping it safe. You don’t know what that fan got or what they’re doing. You see it all the time, and we don’t know what they’re carrying in their pockets. It’s whatever that little smoke stuff is, but that s–t could be dangerous. … One of the [security] guys on the other side, it looked like he got hurt, and security looked like he was struggling, so I was frustrated, so I took it out on him.”
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On Wednesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay reiterated, “I think that we all know where Bobby’s intentions were. I support Bobby Wagner, that’s where I’m at with that. I don’t think anybody would disagree.”
Direct Action Everywhere is an animal-rights group who supported the protester, calling Wagner’s tackle a “blatant assault.”
Lieutenant Phan did not say whether the complaint was against Wagner or the Rams organization as a whole.