Man arrested for allegedly hitting Alex Cora with full can of beer during Red Sox victory parade

BOSTON (WHDH) - A 19-year-old Sandwich man is facing several charges after he allegedly hit Red Sox manager Alex Cora with a thrown beer during the team’s World Series victory Parade in Boston on Wednesday.

Detectives who saw Patrick Connolly hit Cora with the projectile as he passed by in a Duck Boat on Boylston Street around 11:40 a.m. said they arrested him after he was found with a Natural Light beer can.

After his arrest, Connolly allegedly told detectives, “I love Cora. I didn’t mean to hit him.”

Cora was not injured in the incident.

Connolly was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court Wednesday afternoon on charges including assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

He was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court on Nov. 26.

Connolly’s friends, who were with him at the parade, and his defense attorney in court, argued that there was no way anyone could know who actually threw the beer.

“Wrongfully accused,” Connolly’s roommate Cameron Ruggiero said. “It was a large group of people; there was a beer that got thrown. It’s all over the internet now; honestly, there’s no clear evidence that it was Patrick.”

A lot of fans could be seen throwing beers to players during the parade; however, not everyone was ready to catch them.

“Some of the players were cheering them on, throw me a beer. Players were throwing beers back here and there. No one was there doing anything bad,” Ruggiero said. “They were just there cheering on the Red Sox.”

One thrown beer damaged a World Series trophy but the Red Sox said this is easily fixed.

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