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‘A goofy kid’ or ‘hero,’ he nets national headlines

STEVE CONSALVI, the 17-year-old field trespasser who was zapped with a Taser by a cop during Monday night's Phillies game, was released from police custody at 5 a.m. yesterday — only to be placed on "parental house arrest" by his mother upon arriving at his Montgomery County home.

No word on when he's getting out. Mom is not happy.

"My son's a little bit of a goof," Amy Zeigler said from her driveway in Gilbertsville, as another news van pulled into their cul-de-sac. "He's a happy kid and he clowns around. But did I expect him to do this? No, not at all."

Nor did she expect her son, a Boyertown High senior, to be flooredwith a Taser by a Philadelphia police officer as Consalvi zigzagged through the Citizens Bank Park outfield during the eighth inning, waving a rally towel over his head and eluding security personnel with ease.

"He's not a bad kid; doesn't have any record," she said. "He doesn't drink; he doesn't do drugs. He's just a goofy kid."

But when Zeigler saw the footage of her son getting the shot from the Taser, "My heart dropped to my feet," she said. "I was stunned — just like he was."

There was nothing extraordinary about Consalvi's stunt. Happens all the time at sporting events, including during the 9th inning of last night's game.

A male fan jumped out of the stands into left field, then trotted along the warning track to center. But he was quickly surrounded by security and easily taken into custody, without a Taser in sight. Police provided no information about the incident last night.

But the close-up photos from Monday night of a teenager in mid-juke with an angry cop aiming a Taser at his back led to national headlines, including ESPN coverage.

And, of course, there are YouTube clips and a Facebook page, "Steve Consalvi is a Hero," which had attracted more than 1,500 fans by 8 last night. "Greatest moment in Boyertown history lol," one fan wrote. "YOU ARE MY HEROOOOOOOO!" wrote another.

Phillies spokeswoman Bonnie Clark said in a statement that the incident was the first time Philly police had used a Taser gun to apprehend a field trespasser. The team is working with police to determine "whether in future situations this is an appropriate use of force under these circumstances," she said.

A Taser is a weapon that uses an electric current to stun a target.

Shortly before he dashed onto the field, Consalvi wanted to run the idea by his old man, so he called his father, Wayne.

"He goes, 'Dad, I'm gonna run through the field, OK?' I say, 'No, this one's not OK. You shouldn't do that," Wayne Consalvi said from his auto-repair shop in Pottstown. "He did it anyway."

Consalvi, who plays tennis for Boyertown High and baseball in the Pine Forge Athletic Association, was about to give up when he was shot, according to his father. "He said, 'When I looked back, I saw this old guard and I felt bad and started to stop,'" Wayne Consalvi said.

While Consalvi's parents don't condone what he did, they think the use of force was unnecessary. It's not like he was going to escape or anything.

"He wasn't charging anybody; he was winging his towel around. To get Tased I think was a little extreme," his father said.

Consalvi's stepfather, Scott Zeigler, said police were helpful and professional at Methodist Hospital, where his stepson was taken, and at the police station. But, he said, there was no need to shock someone who didn't pose a threat.

"People are asking, 'Are you going to sue?' I haven't even considered that type of stuff at this point," Scott Zeigler said.

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said that discharging the Taser "was within policy," adding that they can be used when a suspect "is attempting to flee or resisting arrest." Consalvi was charged with trespassing and related offenses.

"It was a stupid thing he did, but he's not a dangerous kid," his mother said. "He loves the Phillies. He's a Philly fanatic, basically. He wants to sincerely apologize to the Philadelphia Phillies organization for his actions. It will never happen again."

Consalvi's parents weren't letting him talk with reporters yesterday.

"I'm not going to turn this into some other circus where he thinks there's some positive out of this," Scott Zeigler said. "There isn't for him, and there shouldn't be."

"If it wasn't for the Taser, it would have been no big deal probably," Wayne Consalvi said. "I don't think he expected all this." *

Staff writer Paul Hagen contributed to this report.