PHILADELPHIA _ For the second week in a row, an Eagles fan has been arrested at Lincoln Financial Field after allegedly punching a police horse.
According to police, Andrew Tornetta, 19, of North Wales, became verbally combative after a mounted State Police corporal attempted to disperse a large crowd around 3:15 p.m., hours before the start of the Eagles NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Police say Tornetta managed to maneuver himself out of the jacket the mounted officer was holding. When the trooper grabbed onto Tornetta's sweatshirt, the suspect punched the state police horse twice on the right front shoulder before striking the corporal in the face, just below his right eye, officials said.
Authorities then say Tornetta shed his clothing in an attempt to lose police in the crowd, but was quickly arrested. Pictures of a bloody Tornetta being led away by police went viral Sunday afternoon.
Tornetta was charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and other related offenses.
All told, police say there were six arrests on Sunday. In addition to Tornetta, there were two arrests for disorderly conduct and three arrests for counterfeit ticket sales.
Other than the arrests, the scene didn't exactly live up to doomsday predictions offered by media outlets in Minnesota, which included one Minneapolis-based ticket broker comparing Eagles fans to gang members.
"If the Vikings win, yes, I would take off any sort of colors," Ticket King's Drew Baydala told Fox 9 in Minneapolis. "I know it sounds ridiculous, like we're almost talking about gangs here," he continued. "But it's no joke down in Philly. It really isn't."
The Eagles defeated the Vikings 38-7 to earn a trip to Super Bowl LII, where they'll face off against the New England Patriots in a rematch of their Super Bowl XXXIX loss 13 years ago.
Last week, 22-year-old Taylor Hendricks, of Whitehall, was arrested after authorities said he repeatedly punched a mounted officer's horse after being ejected from the Eagles Divisional playoff game against the Falcons. Authorities said Hendricks was intoxicated and didn't have a ticket.
