Las Vegas police detain multiple people after man climbs to top of Sphere ahead of Super Bowl

A man apparently climbed to the top of the Sphere in Las Vegas on Wednesday in what local police have deemed a “publicity stunt.” The urban climbing excursion comes as much of the sports world descends on Vegas for the Super Bowl this Sunday.

Multiple people near the base of the Sphere were detained, according to KTNV, as they were apparently in on this maneuver. The man apparently climbing the Sphere is reportedly Maison DesChamps, a self-described “pro-life Spiderman.”

He performed a similar stunt a year ago, climbing a tower in Phoenix shortly before the Super Bowl there.

Video of his ascent to the top of the structure was captured by local news.

A person has climbed the Sphere. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/axoOARMDjt

— Jaewon Jung (@jaewonnews) February 7, 2024

DesChamps will be arrested upon coming down from the Sphere, according to police.

The Sphere climber isn’t the only NFL-adjacent law enforcement brush up of late

A Pennsylvania man is facing some serious criminal charges after flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore during the AFC Championship game between the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, federal prosecutor’s announced on Monday. The game was briefly paused in the first half while the drone was over the stadium.

Matthew Hebert has been charged with a number of federal felonies for illegal flying his drone over the stadium on Jan. 28, per a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office representing the District of Maryland. Because the governance of U.S. airspace falls to the Federal Aviation Administration, crimes involving aerial vehicles such as drones — referred to as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) — are risible to the federal level.

Hebert is also under scrutiny for operating his drone with proper certification. If convicted on these charges, he is facing up to four years in prison.

“Illegally operating drones poses a significant security risk that will lead to federal charges,” U.S. attorney Erek Barron said in the release. “Temporary flight restrictions are always in place during large sporting events.”

On the Sunday of the AFC Championship game, a temporary flight restriction (TFR) was placed around M&T Bank Stadium, as is common around many large sporting events around the country. They begin an hour before the event is scheduled to begin and usually end an hour after it has concluded. It creates a radius of three nautical miles around the stadium that aircraft are not supposed to enter.

Hebert’s drone flew over the stadium in the first half and was deemed a big enough security risk to cause an administrative timeout. State and federal law enforcement then followed the drone to where it landed, at which point they found Hebert, who spoke to authorities.