‘Hamilton’ fans cheer as police remove maskless man after scuffle, Arizona cops say

A man who refused to wear a mask assaulted two Arizona State University theater employees Saturday before struggling with police during a performance of “Hamilton,” officials say.

The audience cheered as university police removed the man from the ASU Gammage theater, KNXV reported. He was arrested on suspicion of assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

The incident began when two theater workers asked the man to wear a face mask, then asked him to leave when he refused, Arizona’s Family reported. He then became violent, officials say.

When campus police arrived to remove the man, a struggle ensued, KNXV reported. The audience cheered and clapped as officers escorted him from the theater, police said.

The theater’s COVID-19 safety protocols require all employees and audience members to be masked at all times inside the building.

Named for former university president Grady Gammage, the theater — designed in part by Frank Lloyd Wright — seats more than 3,000 people on three levels.

More than 231 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 4.7 million deaths as of Sept. 26, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has had more than 42 million confirmed cases with more than 687,000 deaths.

This story was originally published September 26, 2021 at 11:35 AM with the headline "‘Hamilton’ fans cheer as police remove maskless man after scuffle, Arizona cops say."