Competitive Street Fighter player Noel Brown has been yanked from a string of high-profile fighting tournaments — including EVO 2016 — due to “unwarranted and unwanted” groping of a female attendee.
The incident, which was captured on video just before the Street Fighter V Losers Finals, can be viewed below.
Responding to the incident, Capcom released a statement condemning Brown’s “inappropriate” touching, which occurred last week during the Combo Breaker event in Chicago, Illinois.
“We have worked closely with the tournament organizer of Combo Breaker to gather all details surrounding the incident. We have found that the victim, who wishes not to be named, has gone on record and confirmed this was an inappropriate act from Noel Brown and was not consensual.”
As things stand, Brown has been pulled from the entire 2016 tour, and a second offense will result in the competitor being blacklisted from “all future Capcom Pro events.”
In closing, Capcom stated simply: “Harassment will continue to have a zero tolerance policy at Combo Breaker events.”
