When visiting a movie theater, moviegoers abide by a few house rules: don't talk during the movie, do not record the film for pirating purposes and limit cell phone use in the theater.
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One film junkie decided to take matters into their own hands when a moviegoer broke the latter rule.
Matthew Ware, 34, allegedly pepper-sprayed a fellow moviegoer in California. Burbank Police stated that he was upset at a patron for using their cell phone in the theater and sprayed them.
"Everything was normal and all of a sudden behind me, I hear the sound of an aerosol can, like a spray," witness Joe Rodriguez told KTLA. "And a guy just yells out, 'I just got pepper sprayed. This guy just pepper sprayed me.'"
Two other people in the theater had to be treated at a hospital due to irritation from the pepper spray, NBC reported. The incident occurred during a showing of "The Uprising," a new film starring The Amazing Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield.
Officers responded to the incident at AMC 16 theater around 5:30 PM on Sept. 15, according to the outlet.
Film Junkies Weigh in on Wild Theater Incident
Even after hospitalizing two moviegoers, Ware drew praise among the cinema community.
A Save Your Cinema Instagram post about the pepper-spray incident has amassed over 55,000 likes, with many social media users celebrating Ware's actions.
"The Batman statue down the stairs needs to be replaced with a statue of this hero," someone commented.
"Valid and understandable," another said of the incident.
"But I have to know. Did he do it cinematically? Like did he stand up slow and ominously and turn to them and say. 'I see that you're on your phone in the movies!? Well I hope you like your popcorn and your experience extra spicy !!!!' (sprays with reckless abandon laughing manically)," another user joked.
Others felt bad for the moviegoers who were forced to evacuate the theater.
"The person on their phone deserved it, not the whole row," an Instagram user replied.
"I just feel bad for the people who were watching the movie quietly and got hit with the overspray. If you can't not use your phone, the movie theater is not for you," another replied.
