pepper

An investigation has been launched after a sheriff’s deputy appeared to pepper spray a Turnstile fan during a show in Richmond.

The Baltimore band played at the Virginia city’s Brown’s Island venue on Wednesday (September 24), and as is customary at their shows, they encouraged fans onto the stage to join them during their performance of ‘Birds’.

In a fan video, a member of security situated at the front of the stage is seen attempting to intercept members of the audience at the same time that the band are inviting them on stage. In one instance, the official appears to brandish a can of pepper spray and fire it directly into the face of one fan. Bassist Franz Lyons, who is stood nearby, is seen to recoil and cover his eyes.

Watch the video here:

Richmond Sheriff Antoinette Irving told CBS 6 News that the incident is now under investigation.

One fan who was in attendance told the same outlet: “I smelled the air getting a little spicy, and then my eyes are watering. I was like, ‘Oh crap, it’s pepper spray’. People were pouring water in people’s eyes to rinse the eyes out. I just kind of took a second to breathe it out. Coughed a bit.”

Turnstile’s US tour kicked off on September 15 in Nashville, where they brought out Paramore’s Hayley Williams for a duet of ‘Seein’ Stars’. They will play around the country for the rest of the autumn, with support to come from SPEED, Jane Remover, Mannequin Pussy, Blood Orange, and Amyl & The Sniffers. See more information about the tour here and find any remaining tickets here.

The band’s latest album is ‘Never Enough’, which received a glowing five-star review from NME, and was also named as one of our best albums of 2025 so far.

Speaking to NME in June, drummer Daniel Fang says the success of 2021’s ‘Glow On’ didn’t create any pressure when making its follow-up. “I don’t know how anyone would have time or the bandwidth to manage outside expectations,” he said. “I don’t think any of us can even fathom that, because there’s an infinite well within everyone [in the band]… I don’t understand how anyone could be guided by that when there’s so much else to work off of.”

They played an acclaimed, moshpit-heavy Glastonbury 2025 set, and will embark on a UK and European tour, which kicks off in Dublin on October 31. See the full list of dates here and find tickets here.

In a five-star review of the Glastonbury set, NME wrote: “This set is what Turnstile are all about – there’s no needless chatter and no projections behind them illustrating what their songs are meant to symbolise. Instead, it simply boils down to the sheer intensity and precision with which they deliver each of their 15 tracks, and the unwavering loyalty they get in return. Get ready for Turnstile to dominate this summer – and beyond.”