A 34-year-old Los Angeles man was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after allegedly pepper-spraying a fellow moviegoer for using a cell phone during a screening of “The Uprising” at the AMC Burbank 16 on Tuesday, September 15, leaving two other patrons treated for irritation.
What was supposed to be a routine Tuesday afternoon at the movies turned into a chaotic police investigation in Southern California. When an audience member reportedly refused to put away a glowing phone 40 minutes into a late-afternoon showing, the unwritten social contract of the auditorium dissolved into an aerosol hiss, and an online debate that quickly polarized moviegoers across the country.
The Incident at AMC Burbank 16 and the Arrest of Matthew Ware
Police in Burbank, California, responded to the AMC 16 theater located at 125 E. Palm Ave. at about 5:30 p.m. on September 15, following a report that one patron had attacked another with pepper spray inside an auditorium. According to the Burbank Police Department, officers arrested 34-year-old Matthew Ware of Los Angeles at the scene after he allegedly targeted a moviegoer who was using a cell phone during a screening of “The Uprising”.
Lt. Brent Fekety, a Burbank Police spokesman, confirmed that the deployment of the spray affected two other moviegoers. Those affected patrons were treated for their irritation at a local hospital. Witnesses reported hearing the distinct hiss of an aerosol can from a few rows back before someone screamed that they had been sprayed.
Everything was normal and all of a sudden behind me, I hear the sound of an aerosol can, like a spray, And a guy just yells out, ‘I just got pepper sprayed.
Joe Rodriguez, witness and AMC A-List loyalty program member
According to NBC Los Angeles, witness Joe Rodriguez was sitting in the row directly in front of the altercation. He saw Ware immediately flee the auditorium, chased by three other moviegoers who tracked him down elsewhere in the complex. Police located Ware in the theater lobby and booked him on suspicion of misdemeanor battery into the Burbank Jail. Online records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Inmate Information Center show he was released the following morning at 7:22 a.m.
Social Media Backlash and the Wider Debate on Theater Etiquette
Images shared on social media platforms showed officers handcuffing Ware, who was wearing cargo shorts and a black T-shirt featuring the slasher film “Terrifier.” The photos and eyewitness accounts quickly migrated to X, Instagram, and Reddit, where they reignited intense discussions regarding modern movie theater etiquette and the persistent issue of illuminated screens in dark auditoriums.
NBC News reported that online commenters split sharply into two camps. While many condemned the use of chemical spray over a minor behavioral nuisance, others expressed latent sympathy, arguing that disruptive phone use has steadily degraded the theatrical experience since pandemic restrictions lifted.
Rodriguez noted in interviews that while he understands the universal frustration surrounding inconsiderate phone use—particularly among younger audiences—the escalation was bizarre and disproportionate. He recalled overhearing Ware defend himself during the arrest by complaining that the phone user had “got smart” with him when asked to turn off the device, a detail that led witnesses to conclude the confrontation was born of frustration rather than self-defense.
Industry Pressure and What Comes Next
The Burbank confrontation underscores a broader cultural flashpoint over customer behavior in commercial cinemas. Theater chains have struggled to balance strict no-phone policies with modern consumer habits. Earlier in the year, Austin-based chain Alamo Drafthouse faced customer backlash after altering its long-standing strict no-phones policy to allow patrons to use smartphones for ordering food and drinks during screenings.
Industry observers and local patrons point out that the AMC Burbank 16 is the most profitable theater in the country, frequently patronized by entertainment industry types who take their moviegoing much more seriously. With the suspect released from custody following his booking, legal proceedings for the misdemeanor battery charge will determine the next steps in the case as local authorities evaluate the full scope of witness statements and medical reports from those affected.