Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Not Be Pressing Charges Against The Man Who Kicked Him In The Back
Arnold Schwarzenegger was attacked during a bizarre and unexpected incident while he was greeting children in South Africa. The actor and former California governor was smiling while talking with fans and taking pictures at the Arnold Classic Africa sporting event. The event features dozens of fitness and sporting activities for participants to take part in. Schwarzenegger seemed to be enjoying himself and he was in the middle of filming a Snapchat video while one of the competitors jumped rope in the background. That’s when a crazed man came running up suddenly, leapt into the air, and kicked Schwarzenegger from behind, while the crowd gasped. A video from one of the witnesses shows the actor’s surprised reaction, according to Page Six.
At first, the 71-year-old actor wasn’t quite sure what had happened. He admitted later that he initially thought that the sudden pound he’d received from behind was just the crowd jostling him. It wasn’t until that he watched the video later that he realized he’d actually been kicked in the back, according to Deadspin.
Seconds after the unnamed man pounded, security surrounded him to take him away. All the while, the man can be heard screaming “Help me! I need a Lamborghini!”
Arnold Schwarzenegger Says 'I'm Not Pressing Charges' After Being Dropkicked by a Fan https://t.co/jW9zyDCN3P
— People (@people) May 19, 2019
While Schwarzenegger was caught off guard by the attack, he didn’t fall to the ground upon impact but simply turned around in confusion. Although most people would likely be pretty mad about being kicked from behind, the actor didn’t seem too bothered and is moving on in life. Graciously, he has chosen not to press charges against the man who attacked him.
On Sunday, he turned to Twitter to explain he doesn’t want the incident to turn into a bigger thing than it needs to be and would like to see the attention placed upon those that were competing at the event.
“A lot of you have asked, but I’m not pressing charges. I hope this was a wake-up call, and he gets his life on the right track. But I’m moving on and I’d rather focus on the thousands of great athletes I met at @ArnoldSports Africa.”
Wayne Price, who organized the Arnold Classic Africa sporting event, explained to police that this wasn’t the first time the individual who attacked Schwarzenegger has pulled this kind of a stunt.
In fact, the individual is “known to the police for orchestrating similar incidents in the past,” Price told the press.