Fan who shone laser at Tom Brady identified, banned

Kansas City Chiefs officials worked with local TV news and law enforcement to successfully ID the fan who shone a laser at Tom Brady during the AFC Championship.

Justice has been served.

After television cameras picked up a green laser light being shone at Tom Brady’s face throughout key moments of the AFC Championship Game, the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs pledged to do their due diligence in trying to identify the perpetrator. Through the combined efforts of eyewitnesses from the game, television news footage, and the investigation carried out by the team and the league as a whole, it appears the responsible party has been successfully identified.

According to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the guilty fan has been apprehended by law enforcement officials, banned for life from Arrowhead Stadium, and will soon “face charges from the Kansas City district attorney.”

The Chiefs have reportedly been taking the infraction extremely seriously, and hope to make a statement by carrying out swift, harsh penalties against this fan, as a warning sign to all future would-be laser enthusiasts. Laser pointers of any kind are strictly forbidden at NFL contests, as not only do they pose a serious potential distraction and unfair competitive advantage, but they can also damage the retinas of players’ eyes.

It’s encouraging to see how quickly and decisively this investigation was carried out. Even more impressive is how authorities were able to locate and apprehend the suspect, considering there were tens of thousands of fans at Arrowhead for the AFC Championship.

Tom Brady was seemingly unfazed by the incident, as he did not comment on it after the game. Of course, the New England Patriots ended up beating the Kansas City Chiefs en route to Super Bowl 53, where they will face the Los Angeles Rams later tonight.