Charges were dropped against two Canadian men accused of desecrating an American flag, after they formally apologized Tuesday for the incident in Southern California following last year's winter Olympics ice hockey final.
The two men, Ryan Smith, 26, of Vernon, and Matthew Seifert, 27, of Calgary, issued a letter through their lawyers admitting to "bad decision making." The pair also agreed to donate a new U.S. flag, Postmedia News reported.
"Our intentions were not meant to cause harm or bring offense to anyone," they wrote. "No sport is more important than the representation of a country's flag. What we thought was in harmless fun upset many people and we are extremely sorry for that."
According to court documents, the men had made a bet with patrons of the Beer Hunter Sports Pub and Grill in La Quinta, Calif. -- where they had been drinking heavily while watching the gold medal game on February 28 -- that they would swap a U.S. flag with a Canadian one at the top of a nearby mountain known as Point Happy if the Americans lost.
After the game, which Canada won 3-2, they climbed up the mountain and replaced the flag, but the American flag was found torn up and left in a pile with a rock on top of it, according to authorities.
The U.S. flag was placed up there to commemorate victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the flag's owner said.
"It's a big relief to have it lifted off my shoulders," Smith said after learning the charges were dropped Tuesday. "I've definitely learned to think about my actions and what the flag means to countries."
