Steve-O Sea World - H 2014
Jackass comedian Steve-O has been cited with a traffic infraction for defacing a San Diego freeway sign in an anti-SeaWorld stunt he pulled in May, the San Diego city attorney’s office said in a statement.
Steve-O, whose full name is Stephen Gilchrist Glover, can either settle the case by paying a $239 fine before Dec. 22 or go to trial before a traffic court commissioner, the statement said.
Steve-O posted a video on YouTube in August showing him climbing a sign on the 5 Freeway in San Diego and covering the word “drive” in “Sea World Drive” with “SUCKS” to criticize the park’s treatment of orcas. “I’m putting my foot down for Shamu,” Steve-O said in the video.
The city attorney’s office said Steve-O’s stunt caused damage to the freeway sign.
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“Mr. Glover is charged with an infraction, comparable to speeding or a stop-sign violation,” said Gerry Braun, the city attorney’s director of communications. “It is an infraction because distractions such as this can cause accidents, just like running a stop sign.”
The California Highway Patrol had recommended the San Diego County district attorney charge Steve-O with vandalism and trespassing, the Los Angeles Times reported. The DA’s office gave the case to the San Diego city attorney.
A representative for Steve-O did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has been publicly critical of SeaWorld, told The Hollywood Reporter the animal rights group plans to pay Steve-O’s fine.
Watch Steve-O’s Breaking the Law video, below.
