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For Joey Chestnut, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest this year will be unlike any other for the 17-time champion.
He'll need to notify his probation officer before leaving for the annual event July 4 on Coney Island in New York.
That’s among the requirements for Chestnut after he pleaded guilty April 20 to misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury. Chestnut, 42, was sentenced to 180 days of probation in lieu of jail time.
The conviction stemmed from Chestnut slapping a man in the face at a sports bar near Chestnut’s home in Westfield, Indiana.
It was not immediately clear if Chestnut would compete at Nathan’s this year. But Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s contest, issued a statement in May when Chestnut’s misdemeanor conviction came to light.
"This incident does not violate the organization’s code of conduct, as it occurred outside any organizational event or activity and was addressed by local authorities," the statement reads.
The incident took place at 1:48 a.m. on March 21 when Chestnut was at Joe's Grille, a sports bar in Westfield, according to an affidavit for probable cause signed by officer Mark Shaffer of the Westfield Police Department.
The man who was struck said he came into contact with Chestnut in a sit-down bar area and recognized Chestnut by his "professional notoriety," according to the affidavit.
Chestnut, 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, reached out with his left hand to shake the man's hand, reported the victim, who said after a brief handshake Chestnut slapped him in the face with his right hand, according to the affidavit.
Initially, the man said, Chestnut said to the victim's friend, "Look, your buddy's mad," according to the affidavit. But the he said Chestnut later changed his tone and said, "Everything is OK" and "Nothing happened," according to the affidavit.
The victim and his friend left Joe’s Grille after the interaction.
The officer who conducted the investigation gained access to surveillance video footage of the area of the bar where the alleged battery occurred, according to the affidavit.
The video shows Chestnut slapping the victim in the face and the man moving his head downward and holding it there while Chestnut stood over him and his friend, according to the affidavit, which noted Chestnut appeared to speak.
The officer said he later met with Chestnut, told him of the allegations, and Chestnut said he didn’t know what the officer was talking about, according to the affidavit.
The officer volunteered that Chestnut walked home after Joe’s Grille closed and Chestnut responded that he was "pretty drunk and didn't remember," according to the affidavit. Apprised of the allegations, Chestnut asked if it was "in a fun way" or looked like a joke, according to the affidavit.
When the officer showed Chestnut a recording of the incident, Chestnut responded, "that did not look nice," according to the affidavit.
In the affidavit, the officer noted he did not observe any visible injuries when he met with the victim. But he also wrote, of the slap, "The touching was rude, insolent, or angry because the open-handed strike was non-consensual to the Victim in manner that caused pain while the accused allegedly used provocative language toward the victim to illicit reaction."
Chestnut’s probation started April 20, the day he pleaded guilty, and will conclude on Oct. 16. Terms of his probation include:
In May, Chestnut said he was returning from San Diego after competing in a gyro-eating contest during a promotional stop.
"Heading back now," he told USA TODAY Sports by text message. "Sitting in a middle seat, thinking about my decisions in life."
The fact the criminal offense was a misdemeanor seemed to be of little consolation.
"Not a felony," he said. "Still bad."
Later, he added, "I could’ve done worse but I should have done better."
There’s no indication Chestnut has lost any of his endorsement deals, which include Impossible Foods, Charbroil and, of course, Nathan’s.
He also has maintained a busy schedule with promotional appearances in Knoxville, Tennessee; San Diego, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Chestnut will compete in the men's portion of the annual event on Saturday, July 4, scheduled to air at noon, ET, on ESPN2 and 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The women's contest, scheduled for 10:45 a.m., will be streamed on the ESPN App. A re-broadcast of the event is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Was Joey Chestnut arrested? What we know on Hot Dog Eating champ's legal issues
Continue reading...
He'll need to notify his probation officer before leaving for the annual event July 4 on Coney Island in New York.
That’s among the requirements for Chestnut after he pleaded guilty April 20 to misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury. Chestnut, 42, was sentenced to 180 days of probation in lieu of jail time.
The conviction stemmed from Chestnut slapping a man in the face at a sports bar near Chestnut’s home in Westfield, Indiana.
It was not immediately clear if Chestnut would compete at Nathan’s this year. But Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s contest, issued a statement in May when Chestnut’s misdemeanor conviction came to light.
"This incident does not violate the organization’s code of conduct, as it occurred outside any organizational event or activity and was addressed by local authorities," the statement reads.
The incident: Joey Chestnut accused of slapping man in Indiana bar
The incident took place at 1:48 a.m. on March 21 when Chestnut was at Joe's Grille, a sports bar in Westfield, according to an affidavit for probable cause signed by officer Mark Shaffer of the Westfield Police Department.
The man who was struck said he came into contact with Chestnut in a sit-down bar area and recognized Chestnut by his "professional notoriety," according to the affidavit.
Chestnut, 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, reached out with his left hand to shake the man's hand, reported the victim, who said after a brief handshake Chestnut slapped him in the face with his right hand, according to the affidavit.
Initially, the man said, Chestnut said to the victim's friend, "Look, your buddy's mad," according to the affidavit. But the he said Chestnut later changed his tone and said, "Everything is OK" and "Nothing happened," according to the affidavit.
The victim and his friend left Joe’s Grille after the interaction.
Video shows Chestnut slapping man. 'That did not look nice'
The officer who conducted the investigation gained access to surveillance video footage of the area of the bar where the alleged battery occurred, according to the affidavit.
The video shows Chestnut slapping the victim in the face and the man moving his head downward and holding it there while Chestnut stood over him and his friend, according to the affidavit, which noted Chestnut appeared to speak.
The officer said he later met with Chestnut, told him of the allegations, and Chestnut said he didn’t know what the officer was talking about, according to the affidavit.
The officer volunteered that Chestnut walked home after Joe’s Grille closed and Chestnut responded that he was "pretty drunk and didn't remember," according to the affidavit. Apprised of the allegations, Chestnut asked if it was "in a fun way" or looked like a joke, according to the affidavit.
When the officer showed Chestnut a recording of the incident, Chestnut responded, "that did not look nice," according to the affidavit.
Police officer’s assessment: 'Rude, insolent, or angry'
In the affidavit, the officer noted he did not observe any visible injuries when he met with the victim. But he also wrote, of the slap, "The touching was rude, insolent, or angry because the open-handed strike was non-consensual to the Victim in manner that caused pain while the accused allegedly used provocative language toward the victim to illicit reaction."
Joey Chestnut’s probation terms
Chestnut’s probation started April 20, the day he pleaded guilty, and will conclude on Oct. 16. Terms of his probation include:
- Comply with all local, state and federal laws, and within 48 hours of being arrested or charged for new criminal offense, you shall contact your probation officer with that information.
- You must have consent of your Probation Officer before leaving the State of Indiana.
- Not purchase, possess, or use any firearm, destructive device or other weapon unless granted written permission by your probation officer.
- Not consume or possess on your person or in your residence any controlled substance (illegal drug) unless you can prove that you have valid prescription for that substance; but if you are residing out-of-state and the prescribed substance would violate Indiana or federal law (such as THC products), you must obtain permission from the Court to consume or possess the prescribed substance while out-of-state; you shall submit to alcohol and drug testing when ordered by the Probation Department, and shall be responsible for the cost of that testing.
What Joey Chestnut said about the incident
In May, Chestnut said he was returning from San Diego after competing in a gyro-eating contest during a promotional stop.
"Heading back now," he told USA TODAY Sports by text message. "Sitting in a middle seat, thinking about my decisions in life."
The fact the criminal offense was a misdemeanor seemed to be of little consolation.
"Not a felony," he said. "Still bad."
Later, he added, "I could’ve done worse but I should have done better."
Reaction to Joey Chestnut’s legal matter
There’s no indication Chestnut has lost any of his endorsement deals, which include Impossible Foods, Charbroil and, of course, Nathan’s.
He also has maintained a busy schedule with promotional appearances in Knoxville, Tennessee; San Diego, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; and St. Paul, Minnesota.
How to watch Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
Chestnut will compete in the men's portion of the annual event on Saturday, July 4, scheduled to air at noon, ET, on ESPN2 and 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The women's contest, scheduled for 10:45 a.m., will be streamed on the ESPN App. A re-broadcast of the event is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Was Joey Chestnut arrested? What we know on Hot Dog Eating champ's legal issues
Continue reading...
