CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A State Highway Patrol officer who was named his post's Trooper of the Year in 2008 was arrested Sunday during the game at Browns Stadium after he was accused of throwing peanuts at two deputies and vandalizing a jail cell.

Jason Fantone, 34, of Canfield, appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court Tuesday morning on a vandalism charge and was released on a personal bond. The case was sent to Cuyahoga County prosecutors.

According to the Cleveland police report and interviews:

Fantone, who was hired by the patrol in 2004 and works out of the Canfield Post in Mahoning County, threw peanuts at two Mahoning County sheriff's deputies working security about 1 p.m. Sunday in the 500 section at the stadium.

The deputies and a lieutenant walked up to Fantone and asked to see his ticket. Fantone became belligerent, started yelling obscenities and refused to comply with the deputies' orders.

Fantone, 6 feet tall and 205 pounds, was highly intoxicated. He was arrested for aggravated disorderly conduct. While in handcuffs and being escorted to a holding cell at the stadium, he continued to yell profanities.

In the cell, he kicked the locked steel door so hard that it popped open. A sergeant closed the door again and Fantone kicked it again, breaking the latch.

He continued to yell when asked questions, at one point shouting, "I'm in handcuffs for throwing peanuts? Those guys are mad at me because I DUI'd some of their guys."

Mahoning County Sheriff Randall Wellington said he was not aware of any of his deputies being cited by Fantone for anything. There were 27 off-duty Mahoning County deputies working the game Sunday, he said.

A patrol spokesman said they do not track the occupations of people issued citations.

The damage to the cell was estimated at more than $500, making the vandalism a felony.

Fantone was placed on paid leave, required by the union contract, pending the outcome of the criminal and administrative investigation, patrol Lt. Gary Lewis said.