Grand jury declines to indict man who threw White Claw cans at Sen. Ted Cruz
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on January 10, 2023
(HOUSTON) — A Texas grand jury has declined to indict a man who hurled two cans of White Claw hard seltzer at Sen. Ted Cruz during the Houston Astros’ World Series victory parade in November, according to court records.
After hearing evidence from prosecutors, the Harris County grand jury decided there was not enough probable cause to indict 33-year-old Joseph Arcidiacono, ABC Houston station KTRK-TV reported, citing court documents.
The panel’s decision on Friday prompted the 182nd District Court in Harris County to dismiss charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon previously filed against Arcidiacono.
During his initial court appearance in November, officials said Arcidiacono admitted throwing the White Claw cans at Cruz, telling police when he was detained, “I know I’m an idiot. I’m sorry.”
Cruz was riding on the back of a Humvee during the Nov. 7 parade on Smith Street in downtown Houston when he suddenly found himself dodging the cans tossed at him from the crowd.
A viral video of the incident showed one can missing the 52-year-old Texas Republican senator. A second unopened can appeared to hit Cruz in the forearm when he tried to deflect it.
The senator did not require medical attention, police said.
Police officers standing nearby quickly arrested Arcidiacono and jailed him on assault charges. Police initially said the suspect threw beer cans at Cruz, but later clarified that the objects were cans of White Claw.
Afterward, Cruz tweeted a video of the incident and issued a statement thanking the Houston Police and Capitol Police for their quick action.
“I’m also thankful that the clown who threw his White Claw had a noodle for an arm,” Cruz said in his statement.
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