The trial of Robert Hopkins, the Buffalo Bills fan who last fall fell from the upper deck of Ralph Wilson Stadium and severely injured another fan, will hinge upon whether the incident was reckless.
During opening statements today before Orchard Park Town Justice Edward A. Pace, Assistant District Attorney G. Michael Drmacich said Mark Bratcher, the fan Hopkins landed on during the Nov. 17 Bills game against the New York Jets, still is in pain.
Bratcher was sitting with a friend in Section 240 when Hopkins slid down a metal railing along the edge of Section 339, fell backwards, tumbled 20 to 25 feet below and landed on him. “That enjoyable day was about to become a nightmare,” Drmacich said. “It came out of the blue. Literally, it came falling out of the sky.”
Drmacich said Bratcher injured his neck and back. An MRI showed he had bulging disks in two places. He still sees a physical therapist and chiropractor and has difficulty sleeping, turning and standing, which poses a problem for his job as a social studies teacher at a Buffalo charter school.
Stadium video surveillance of the incident, which was shown in court Thursday, showed Hopkins slid on the railing five times before falling.
The fall happened at about 1:39 p.m., between the game’s first and second quarters.
Hopkins, 29, of Buffalo was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors. If convicted, Hopkins could face up to a year in jail.
Drmacich said that shortly after the incident, Hopkins told sheriff’s deputies, “It’s true. I didn’t mean to, I feel bad.”
However, defense attorney Patrick J. Brown argued that Hopkins didn’t commit a crime.
“Every accident isn’t a crime,” Brown said. “This was an unfortunate accident, it shouldn’t have happened, Rob is responsible but it isn’t a crime.”
Glenn Attanasio, a fan who was sitting in the same section as Hopkins, testified that he saw Hopkins slide multiple times during a span of about five to 10 minutes.
Attanasio said he heard someone say loudly, “Stop that, you’re gonna hurt yourself, you’re gonna fall,” and another shout, “You’re gonna kill yourself.”
If convicted, Hopkins could face up to a year in jail. After the incident, he lost his job in advertising and public relations with Eric Mower + Associates and was banned from Ralph Wilson Stadium.
email: scampbell@buffnews.com
During opening statements today before Orchard Park Town Justice Edward A. Pace, Assistant District Attorney G. Michael Drmacich said Mark Bratcher, the fan Hopkins landed on during the Nov. 17 Bills game against the New York Jets, still is in pain.
Bratcher was sitting with a friend in Section 240 when Hopkins slid down a metal railing along the edge of Section 339, fell backwards, tumbled 20 to 25 feet below and landed on him. “That enjoyable day was about to become a nightmare,” Drmacich said. “It came out of the blue. Literally, it came falling out of the sky.”
Drmacich said Bratcher injured his neck and back. An MRI showed he had bulging disks in two places. He still sees a physical therapist and chiropractor and has difficulty sleeping, turning and standing, which poses a problem for his job as a social studies teacher at a Buffalo charter school.
Stadium video surveillance of the incident, which was shown in court Thursday, showed Hopkins slid on the railing five times before falling.
The fall happened at about 1:39 p.m., between the game’s first and second quarters.
Hopkins, 29, of Buffalo was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors. If convicted, Hopkins could face up to a year in jail.
Drmacich said that shortly after the incident, Hopkins told sheriff’s deputies, “It’s true. I didn’t mean to, I feel bad.”
However, defense attorney Patrick J. Brown argued that Hopkins didn’t commit a crime.
“Every accident isn’t a crime,” Brown said. “This was an unfortunate accident, it shouldn’t have happened, Rob is responsible but it isn’t a crime.”
Glenn Attanasio, a fan who was sitting in the same section as Hopkins, testified that he saw Hopkins slide multiple times during a span of about five to 10 minutes.
Attanasio said he heard someone say loudly, “Stop that, you’re gonna hurt yourself, you’re gonna fall,” and another shout, “You’re gonna kill yourself.”
If convicted, Hopkins could face up to a year in jail. After the incident, he lost his job in advertising and public relations with Eric Mower + Associates and was banned from Ralph Wilson Stadium.
email: scampbell@buffnews.com