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Renaissance Festival Wench Takes Down Sword Thief, Puts Him 'In A Headlock'

LARKSPUR, Colo. (CBS4) - A man who crashed a jousting performance at the Colorado Renaissance Festival now faces theft and attempted assault charges.

The Colorado Springs man allegedly tried to steal a sword during the middle of the joust at the renaissance fair in Larkspur. He was tackled by a fair employee and it was all caught on camera.

Connor Ward (arrested, Renaissance Sword Theft, from DougCo SO)
Connor Ward (credit: Douglas County Sheriff's Office)

The jousting tourney just ended when Connor Ward, 22, allegedly jumped over the fence, ran into the middle of the field and stole one of the knight's swords.

"They're expensive because they last forever," said Bryan Beard.

Bryan Beard plays the good knight of the joust, defeating the cheating bad knight.

"In 25 years of jousting, and we all like to tell stories around the campfire, I've never even heard of anything like this happening," he said.

Bryan Beard and the other knights had their backs to the arena when the theft took place, but one person saw the theft happen -- a fair damsel who also is Beard's wife.

"I thought, 'If I don't chase this guy with my husband's $400 sword then he's going to get away with it,' " Brittany Beard said.

She chased the suspect through the crowd of thousands.

"I grabbed his shirt … and it ripped in two," she said. "I kicked him in the back of the legs."

Sword Stealer
(credit: Steven T. Chapman)

She tackled the would-be thief.

"I caught him off guard so I jumped on his back and kind of put him in a headlock."

A photographer at the scene took photos.

Sword Stealer
(credit: Steven T. Chapman)

Police believe Ward may have been intoxicated.

"Because a knight is a nobleman, we have the right to dispense justice," Bryan Beard said.

But in this case it was not the knight, but the damsel who served the justice.

"Chivalry, honor, duty -- those things are not gender specific," Bryan Beard said.

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