AFL Player Gets Ejected from Game, Hits Child in Stands with Thrown Helmet

Portland Thunder cornerback Quincy Butler is out of a job after an incident that occurred during Saturday’s away game against the Philadelphia Soul.

Butler, who spent time on NFL rosters with the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys, received a personal foul in the third quarter and was ejected from the contest.

He responded by arguing with officials and chucking his helmet into the stands, where, according to The Oregonian’s Pete Christopher, it struck a young fan in the crowd.

CBSSports.com's John Breech spotted video of the incident. Butler can be seen at the bottom of the scene remonstrating with officials before heaving his headgear.

The video also shows Butler and a teammate talking to someone in the crowd after the act, offering what appears to be an apology. The cornerback eventually walks off as his teammate continues trying to patch things up.

The Portland Thunder announced the team had "reassigned" Butler on Monday, which is Arena-speak for “waived.” They seem to expect further sanctions from the league over the incident, and I’d be surprised if the child’s family didn’t already have a lawsuit cooking.

Dan is on Twitter. Don’t throw helmets at people.