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

A man arrested after he allegedly pepper-sprayed a cellphone user at a movie theater has emerged as a controversial figure among moviegoers, with some branding him a “hero” and others condemning the act. Police in Burbank, California, arrested 34-year-old Matthew Ware on Tuesday evening after he allegedly attacked another moviegoer for using their phone during a screening. Ware was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after allegedly spraying the AMC Burbank 16 patron when he became upset over their in-theater etiquette, Burbank Police Department Lt. Brent Fekety said. The spray affected two other moviegoers, who were treated for their irritation at a local hospital, according to Fekety. Ware did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

It is unclear whether he has legal representation. Online, the incident has become another flashpoint in the ongoing debate among die-hard moviegoers, for whom putting away a phone is a basic rule of theater etiquette. Phone use in theaters has been a growing issue since pandemic restrictions were lifted. In recent years, as the box office rebounded into a Gen Z-driven boom, many moviegoers have lamented that the experience is now often tainted by fellow patrons’ full-volume conversations and persistent phone use. In February, Alamo Drafthouse, an Austin, Texas-based chain that built its identity in part on a strict no-phones policy,