An American runner dressed as the Joker was detained on Saturday in Pamplona during the fifth San Fermín encierro for using a mobile phone and touching a bull.
The incident occurred during the fifth encierro on 11 July 2026 with bulls from the José Escolar ranch. The runner, wearing a green wig and white face paint, was run over by the animals in the final stretch of the course.
After getting up, the young man pulled out a mobile phone and filmed himself while extending his arm to touch one of the bulls. Expert Teo Lázaro harshly criticized his behavior during the TVE broadcast: "This young man should not be in the encierro and I hope he is sanctioned. He has been acting the fool for several days".
Later, during the vaquillas release in the bullring, the runner provoked an animal and suffered a somersault. Pamplona Municipal Police detained him in the arena. He was identified as Lacey Mrzena from Chicago. The fine may reach between 600 and 6,000 euros for violating the Encierro Ordinance.
