Stabbing temporarily halts Comic-Con panel

[Nemesis]

SAN DIEGO — A stabbing Saturday night in a packed auditorium at the Comic-Con International pop culture convention temporarily brought the presentation of some of the most highly anticipated films to a halt.

The incident in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center occurred minutes before Universal Pictures was to present panels on two upcoming films — its sci-fi adventure Paul and Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens.

Witnesses said that a scuffle broke out between two men in their mid-20s over a seat near the center of the auditorium and one of the men was stabbed in the eye.

Security personnel rushed to the auditorium as attendees stood on their seats to watch. Organizers pleaded with the capacity crowd to take their seats as guards and medics cleared the scene.

Convention officials started a roll of trailers to a chorus of boos from the spectators, some of whom had waited overnight in line to see the panels.

The day was to be one of the biggest for the convention, hosting films for major comics publishers Marvel (Thor, Captain America) and DC Comics (Green Lantern).

Organizers expected the panels to be delayed at least an hour after the early evening incident, but the presentation resumed at about 5:30 PT.

"I've been coming to Comic-Con for nine years and never saw anything like it," says Albert Esparza, 33, of Los Angeles.

Esparza says he was sitting a couple of rows in front of the fracas when he felt "everybody kind of move forward. Then there was a lot of yelling."

Esparza says he turned to see a man's face in profile, covered in blood. Another attendee grabbed the assailant and held him until security arrived, Esparza said.

"I don't know what would have happened if someone didn't step in," he says. "You don't think of people going off here because we're at Comic-Con for the same reason. But tempers were really fired up."

Identities of the victim and assailant have not been released.

San Diego Police Sgt. Gary Mondesir said, "Two males got into a dispute and one male stabbed the other male with a pen around the eye socket. Paramedics arrived almost immediately and took the victim to the University of California/San Diego hospital. The suspect was taken away.

"We had officers inside the convention center and they were there relatively quickly, and citizens had actually detained the suspect," said Mondesir.

[shane]

Sounds like a Live movie trailer gone bad or some critics just don't agree anymore

[Nemesis]

Further News:

 

Comic-Con went a little insane today when a Harry Potter-loving attendee reportedly stabbed another man in the face with a pen at the convention center's massive Hall H. That alleged attack went down following today's Resident Evil: Afterlife panel. According to a report from Entertainment Weekly on the incident, San Diego police arrested the alleged attacker after he was subdued by attendees. Another report on the matter from MTV says that the victim in the attack was attempting to hold a seat for a friend.

George Roush, a reporter for Latino Review, captured video of the alleged attacker being hauled off by police, the source of the snap above.

 

Here is the stabber:

 

Video of him being hauled away.

[o-BacklasH-o]

LOL check out the chick in the background taking a picture.

[RNG187]

is the guy seriously wearing a shirt that says "undesirable" ? if i'm seeing correctly, that's amazing.

[Nemesis]

is the guy seriously wearing a shirt that says "undesirable" ? if i'm seeing correctly, that's amazing.

 

It's a Harry Potter T-Shirt.

 

[o-BacklasH-o]

lol only true bad asses rep Harry Potter!

[TOW-19]

Arrested in a Harry Potter Tee.

Yeah, HE'S not getting ass-raped in prison.

 

It's the fucking Comic-Con, for chrissakes, at a MOVIE PANEL, no less

 

....he must have thought it was the BETs or some shit.

[Prane]

Wow can't believe Comic-Con is getting so violent. Someday I'd like to make it out there but now I might need safety goggles and a flak jacket to go.

[TOW-19]

Prane;814318']Wow can't believe Comic-Con is getting so violent. Someday I'd like to make it out there but now I might need safety goggles and a flak jacket to go.

 

Or at the very least, a cape.

[o-BacklasH-o]

Prane, road trip next year! Do it!