Cycling Spectator Arrested for Not Smiling at Olympics
A spectator watching a bike race at the Olympics was arrested after police felt he posed a danger to the other spectators and cyclists.
Mark Worsfold, 54, was arrested and detained by police for several hours after police threw him to the ground and handcuffed him because of "his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course," Gulf News reported.
Worsfold was fingerprinted and had his picture taken before he was questioned about why he did not look like he was having a good time on July 28. He was watching the men's road race in Surrey and stated that officers told him he was being arrested because he was not smiling.
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"I was sitting minding my own business," Worsfold told a local newspaper. "Before I knew anything the police grabbed me off this seven-foot wall, threw me to the floor and cuffed me so all I saw of the cycle race was between the feet of people from the pavement."
A spokesman added that the arrest was necessary to avoid a breach of the peace because he was standing near a group of protesters.
"There were a number of factors which led officers to make this arrest, including the fact the race was approaching, the heightened level of security due to the high profile nature of the event and the sheer number of spectators," a Surrey police spokesman said in a statement.
Surrey police also added that he was first arrested on suspicion of a public order offence but was "given words of advice" before he was "released with no further action."
Worsfold, diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2010, explained that symptoms resulting from his disease sometimes cause muscle rigidity, which can lead to an expressionless look on his face.
"It could have been done better. I was arrested for not smiling. I have Parkinson's," he said.
