Why a fan accused of throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving was charged with assault

A fan wearing a Boston Celtics jersey was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after allegedly throwing a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving on Sunday night. Many basketball fans online questioned whether throwing the plastic bottle actually constitutes assault, but law experts say the charges are common and a conviction would come down to proving the suspect's intent to cause bodily harm.

The Boston Police Department has identified the fan as Cole Buckley, 21, of Braintree, Massachusetts. Buckley has been banned indefinitely from attending events at the Celtics arena, TD Garden. Cole pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday and was released after posting a $500 bond. As Irving left the court following the Nets' 141-126 victory over the Celtics, he was nearly hit by the water bottle. Later, witnesses told police the bottle grazed the 29-year-old superstar's head. After the game, Irving said the incident was an example of "underlying racism," and Rachael Rollins, the Suffolk County district attorney, seemed to agree Wednesday: "It is not lost on me that he chose to do this in a sport that is overwhelmingly Black men. We are not going to allow this trend to continue."