ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Legal action against fans trespassing on the Bills stadium construction site continued Tuesday when Adam McPherson, 29, was arraigned in Orchard Park Town Court and charged with criminal trespassing in the second-degree and a third-degree misdemeanor.
McPherson is accused of hopping the 10-foot fence surrounding the construction site on Sept. 17 ahead of the Bills’ home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Authorities say the 29-year-old entered a portable toilet in Orchard Park, covered himself in the contents of the toilet, stripped naked, and jumped into the construction site before falling 30 feet into the pit.
He suffered cuts, including one to his forehead, and was taken to the hospital.
Officials said back in September that McPherson told them he was under the influence of LSD, marijuana, and cocaine.
Videos of McPherson preparing to scale the fence covered in human feces went viral, but he still chose to plead not guilty Tuesday despite the video evidence.
His jump launched a fascination among fans with the construction pit. A movement began to “Feed the Pit,” where fans believed the team’s success was correlated to individuals jumping in the pit before the game each week.
Nine others trespassed on the site throughout the season, three of which were charged Friday and given 100 hours of community service.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office said that punishment is only a start to addressing the ongoing problem.
“We can only get the message out so much,” said Sgt. Jeremy Lehning. “We can we can put press releases out. We can sit here and talk to you guys. We can get it out on social media, but it really comes down to people listening to the message and then taking it to heart and actually not trespassing.”
Cameras were not allowed in court Tuesday, and McPherson’s attorney declined a video interview. 2 On Your Side asked why he and his client chose to plead not guilty despite the video evidence against him, and he responded that his client “has been through enough.”
The first court date is scheduled for Feb. 27.