The Aporia · Miffed moviegoer unleashes pepper spray attack on cellphone user at Burbank theater

Miffed moviegoer unleashes pepper spray attack on cellphone user at Burbank theater

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O'Keefe, R. (2026, September 19). Miffed moviegoer unleashes pepper spray attack on cellphone user at Burbank theater. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/19/us-news/moviegoer-unleashes-pepper-spray-attack-on-cellphone-user-at-burbank-theater/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Matthew Ware, 34, was arrested by Burbank police after allegedly pepper-spraying a man using his cellphone during a screening of "The Uprising" at AMC Burbank 16 around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses reported that Ware asked the victim to turn off his phone but proceeded with the attack when he refused, leading to theatergoers chasing Ware and subsequently notifying authorities. Two people received treatment for irritation from pepper spray at a local hospital, and the theater offered refunds to affected patrons.

Written by AI on 2026-09-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On Tuesday at AMC Burbank 16, Matthew Ware, 34, was arrested for pepper-spraying a man who had his phone out during a screening of "The Uprising" around 5:30 p.m. Witnesses reported that after asking the victim to turn off his phone, which he was using with brightness down, Ware became angry when the request was refused and sprayed him with pepper spray about 40 minutes into the movie. Two other people were treated at a hospital for exposure to the pepper spray. Joe Rodriguez, who witnessed the incident from the back of the theater, described it as "the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen happen at the movies." The arrest reignited debates over phone use in theaters among film enthusiasts.

Written for “Pepper Spray Incident Theater” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 29% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Moviegoer arrested for pepper spraying audience member who was using cellphone: police Same event

The Independent

Hedges 4 of 17 claims Outlet record 59/100

Pepper spray confrontation at AMC reignites frustration over phone use in theaters Same event

NBC News

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 6 of 37 claims Outlet record 78/100

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

29%

5 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Entertainment

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Ross O'Keefe

98 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 98 articles by Ross O'Keefe →

Claims (17 extracted, 5 hedged)

A Los Angeles man took his filmgoing experience a little too seriously. asserted

man → take → experience

Burbank police arrested Matthew Ware, 34, on Tuesday at AMC Burbank 16 after he allegedly pepper-sprayed a man who had his phone out during a screening. uncertain

who → arrest → screening

Witnesses said Ware sprayed the victim about 40 minutes into a showing of “The Uprising” about 5:30 p.m. The alleged attacker darted out of the theater as others in attendance gave chase. asserted

others → say → chase

A witness called police, and Ware was taken into custody in the lobby, according to KTLA. uncertain

Ware → call → KTLA

He was arrested and booked at the Burbank Jail for misdemeanor battery, the outlet reported. asserted

outlet → arrest → battery

Joe Rodriguez, who said he was sitting in the back of the theater at the time of the incident, told CBS News he was stunned by the incident. “It was definitely the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen happen at the movies,” Rodriguez said. asserted

Rodriguez → say → movies

He said Ware asked the victim if he would turn off his phone after he spotted him scrollingwith the brightness down. asserted

he → say → brightness

When the victim refused, a furious Ware sprayed the man, according to Rodriguez. uncertain

Ware → refuse → Rodriguez

This grown man would resort to that,” Rodriguez told the outlet. asserted

Rodriguez → resort → outlet

“They gave him the benefit of the doubt; he did try to use his words initially, but that’s just unacceptable.” asserted

that → give → words

The Burbank Fire Department also responded to the scene and two theatergoers experiencing irritation from the pepper spray were treated at a local hospital. asserted

theatergoers → respond → hospital

The theater offered to refund everyone’s ticket after the ordeal, according to CBS News. uncertain

theater → offer → News

Rodriguez joked that the spraying made the movie experience a lot more interesting. asserted

experience → joke → ?

“To be completely honest, the movie wasn’t my cup of tea,” Rodriguez said. asserted

Rodriguez → say → tea

“I was more thrilled by what happened than the movie itself.” asserted

what → thrill → movie

AMC Burbank 16 is one of the most popular theaters in the San Fernando Valley and is located in downtown Burbank. asserted

Burbank → locate → Burbank

The theater “offers a premium moviegoing experience in the heart of the district’s entertainment hub,” according to the nonprofit Downtown Burbank Partnership. uncertain

theater → offer → Partnership

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Articles to 4 Nov 2026

Miffed moviegoer unleashes pepper spray attack on cellphone user at Burbank theater

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Claims (17 extracted, 5 hedged)