Update:
Dennis Harrison, the prankster who allegedly pulled the fire alarm, appeared in court on Monday where he pleaded not guilty to the nefarious deed. Prosecutors claim that Harrison told police he was drunk, stupid, and yanked the alarm "on a dare" after he was arrested next to the hotel.
His lawyer, a man named Francisco Napolitano, says that his client is embarrassed by the whole ordeal, but that he was in no position to make statements to the police because he was so plastered. "What stands out in the police report is an allegation of alcohol use," Napolitano relayed to The Boston Globe. "There are also allegations that there were some statements made by this gentleman and the question that becomes pretty obvious: was he in any condition to make statements."
The 25-year-old Harrison was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. He was released on his own recognizance.
Original Story Below
There have been no dull moments for the Pittsburgh Steelers since their 18-16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Antonio Brown ignited a mini controversy by posting some of his coach’s post-game comments on Facebook Live. The media has taken the story and run with it, calling the organization undisciplined (among other things). But early Sunday morning, another, much louder distraction manifested itself in the Steelers’ hotel.
At about 3 a.m., the coaches and players got an early wake-up call courtesy of one Boston fan. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio is reporting that 25-year-old Dennis Harrison has been taken into custody on charges of disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and pulling a false alarm at the hotel that the Pittsburgh team was occupying.
In something out a high school prank-war movie, the false alarm was planned in advance by Patriots fans who wanted to disrupt the Steelers however they could. Paolantonio reports that Harrison had this whole thing orchestrated to the point he did the deed, tried to dip and escape in a getaway car that was waiting outside. The cops were having none of it and quickly caught up to the car.
Fan dedication knows no bounds, and this has to be one of the strangest things we have seen from a fan base to get their team an edge. One thing Pats fans might have wanted to consider before planning something like this was, even though it is a minor inconvenience, there is still plenty of time for the Steelers to get some rest before kickoff at 6:40 p.m. Nevertheless, some players are probably not pleased and it will be interesting to see if there are signs of fatigue on the field.
In a crazy twist to an already crazy story, it seems that the fire alarm went off at Gillette Stadium later Sunday morning. Everyone was asked to leave the field for safety concerns, but it looks like everyone is going to be alright. Still, it's hard not to wonder if we will get some random alarm during the game as an act of ultimate trolling.
