LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Sphere in Las Vegas drew even more attention than usual on Wednesday morning when a man was spotted climbing to the top of the spherical structure.
Cameras in the area showed the man standing atop the 366-foot Sphere. As of 11:30 a.m., he had been arrested, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
WATCH: Multiple people detained by police near Sphere after man climbs structure
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police could be seen shutting down traffic on Koval Lane and other roadways near the Sphere.
In a statement, police asked the public to "please avoid the area due to emergency vehicle responding." Drivers were also advised to expect road closures in the area.
BREAKING UPDATE: Multiple people are detained by police near the Sphere after a man was able to climb to the top of the structure just moments ago. Developing story: https://t.co/vEuHx8ZYLh pic.twitter.com/pyNwJUrXCx
— KTNV | Channel 13 News Las Vegas (@KTNV) February 7, 2024
Channel 13 was first alerted to the situation when Maison Des Champs posted a live video on Instagram showing the climb.
Des Champs, who calls himself the "pro-life spiderman" is known for similar stunts in other cities — including in Las Vegas.
Locals may remember that, in August 2021, he climbed the outside of the Aria hotel-casino to protest Nevada's COVID-19 health orders.
In May 2022, he was arrested for scaling the 51-story Salesforce tower in downtown San Francisco.
For Wednesday's incident at Sphere, Las Vegas police said Des Champs has been booked into the Clark County Detention Center and has been charged for destroying property greater than $5,000 and conspiracy to destroy private property. For those two charges, jail records show he is being held on $8,000 bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill referenced the climb during a public briefing on security operations for Super Bowl LVIII, which is happening this Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
"As we sit here today, there's an individual — for a publicity stunt — that just tried to climb to the top of the Sphere," McMahill said. "Your first responders are all over there; they're taking care of it.
"We know these things are going to happen. We're going to deal with them as they come up and make sure we have the safest Super Bowl we've ever had."
A spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment sent Channel 13 the following statement:
"We are grateful to the local authorities for their support in this matter. The individuals involved are currently in the custody of LVMPD."
Sphere, which first opened to the public in September, is 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide.
Its exterior, called the Exosphere, is comprised of 1.2 million LED pucks spaced at 8-inch intervals. It is these pucks that DesChamps was presumably able to grasp in order to reach the Sphere's apex.
We'll share any additional updates on this incident as they come in.
