Jaguars investigating confrontation between fans, Seahawks player

Action News Jax has continuing coverage on Jags All Access at 7 p.m. on CBS47. Join Action Sports Jax’s Brent Martineau and special guests Dede Westbrook and Calais Campbell.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their first winning season in years, but the postgame talk Sunday involved drama between fans and a Seattle Seahawks player.

The Jaguars defeated the Seattle Seahawks 30-24 to take control of the AFC South, but the game was marred by an ugly fourth quarter that involved multiple ejections.

The most notable incident? An altercation between Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and Jaguars fans.

Jefferson was ejected for unnecessary roughness and, as he walked to the locker room, he was almost nailed by a drink from the stands.

Video showed Jefferson walking toward the stands to confront the fan. This prompted even more fans to throw ice and drinks at him. Jefferson tried to climb into the stands, but was taken away by security.

“The Jaguars and SMG take the game experience of fans and players very seriously and are taking time to carefully examine the incident," said Jaguars Business PR Strategy Manager Amanda Holt.  "We will provide an update once any decisions have been made."

The Fan Code of Conduct is posted around Everbank Field.

The code makes clear that throwing objects onto the playing field is a violation; violators of the code could be kicked out of the game without a refund and potentially lose their season tickets.

Jaguars fan Dell Motes was at Sunday night’s game and said he thinks the fans who threw concessions should be punished.

“Well, they don’t represent all the fans, obviously. But yeah, that’s pretty poor representation. Especially since we won the game,” said Motes.

Motes said he understood Jefferson’s reaction.

“That’s a human reaction, as far as I can tell. I mean, they didn’t let him in the stands. But I don’t think I could blame the guy for being upset,” said Motes.

Jags fan Keith Wettstein said he’s not convinced any of the fans involved should be punished harshly.

“Should the fans lose their season tickets or anything? It’s a tough call,” said Wettstein.

Wettstein said he blames Jefferson for escalating the situation.

“The player should have been the professional and should have just kept going through the tunnel. Then it would have never even gotten to that point,” said Wettstein.

Just after 5 p.m. Monday, the Jaguars released the following statement on the fans' behavior:

"The Jacksonville Jaguars in no way condone the behavior of a small group of fans that occurred at the conclusion of Sunday's Jaguars vs. Seahawks game, which involved the throwing of several items on to the field in the direction of a visiting player.  <br/>  <br/> "Immediately following the conclusion of the game, a thorough examination of the incident was initiated involving the Jaguars, NFL Security, the stadium management company (SMG), the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the stadium security company (SAFE Management). While the investigation continues, the group has reviewed video footage and interviewed fans and staff who were in the vicinity. During the incident, four individuals threw five objects from the stands. These objects included plastic cups with ice and liquid, a bag of popcorn and a plastic bottle. In accordance with the Jaguars' Fan Code of Conduct, these individuals are being identified and will be contacted. If they are Jaguars season ticket holders they will immediately have their season ticket member privileges revoked indefinitely. Those purchasing single game tickets will indefinitely lose the option to purchase tickets for future games through the Jaguars and our affiliates. In addition, each will be banned from attending Jaguars games in the future.

"We're grateful for the immediate response by stadium security personnel to the situation. The Jacksonville Jaguars and our stadium partners are firmly committed to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all who visit EverBank Field, including fans and members of the visiting team. It is unfortunate that the actions of a few would tarnish the reputation of the Jaguars fan base and the positive, electric game day atmosphere at yesterday's game. EverBank Field is well-known around the league for its world-class game day experience and the manner in which visiting fans are treated. In advance of this Sunday's final regular season home game we want to remind our fans of the Fan Code of Conduct and encourage them to enjoy the game by showing proper respect to others."

Cox Media Group