San Francisco Giants Fan Attacked by Dodger Fans Outside Los Angeles Ballpark
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San Francisco Giants Fan Attacked by Dodger Fans Outside Los Angeles Ballpark
Published April 02, 2011
LOS ANGELES -- A savage beating by two men outside Dodgers Stadium has left a San Francisco Giants fan hospitalized and police urging any witnesses to step forward to help identify the attackers.
The beating after Thursday's season opener between the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers left the victim in critical but stable condition.
Police late Friday released composite sketches of the two suspects, who were wearing Dodgers clothing. Investigators were also checking to see if any security camera captured the attack, but Detective Larry Burcher said so far they'd found "nothing of great value."
"We're very confident there were witnesses, it happened immediately following the game when everybody was coming out," Burcher said.
Police said the two men began taunting three men in Giants gear with expletives as thousands of baseball fans left the stadium after Thursday night's 2-1 Dodger victory, Detective T.J. Moore said.
The Giants fans tried to distance themselves from their assailants, and two made it away from them, but one was struck with fists on the back of the head and as he fell, his head hit the ground in Parking Lot 2 on the third base side of the ballpark, Moore said.
Both attackers then kicked the victim, who suffered a head injury, and ran, Moore said. The suspects fled in a four-door sedan driven by a woman with a male child passenger in the vehicle, Moore said.
When the victim's friends turned around to look for him, they saw him on the ground and made their way back to him.
Police paramedics on bicycles were the first to arrive to help the victim. An ambulance was called and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, Moore said.
The victim's name wasn't released, but KGO radio in San Francisco and the Santa Cruz Sentinel identified him as Bryan Stow of Santa Cruz. His brother-in-law, David Collins, told KGO that Stow has severe head injuries.
"It's sad," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday's game against the Dodgers. "It's a shame somebody's in critical condition because of a ball game. When they're out fighting in the parking lot, we've lost sight of what this is all about. Sounds like the guy got blindsided, too."
The Dodgers said they were co-operating with investigators and wished the victim a speedy recovery.
"It is extremely unfortunate that this incident took place on what was otherwise a great day at Dodger Stadium for tens of thousands of fans," the team said in a statement. "We're committed to having the most fan and family friendly environment in baseball and will continue to make that a top priority."
The stadium has been plagued by opening day violence in the past.
In April 2009, a man stabbed his friend in the stadium parking lot after the home opener, in which the Dodgers. Arthur Alvarez said he acted in self defense and was acquitted by a jury.
The West Coast rivalry began on April 18, 1958, the first game played in California after both teams had moved from New York. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5 in a game played before nearly 79,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
"I was disappointed," new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about the Thursday attack. "You don't want to see that. Everyone likes rivalries, but to me that's crossing the line."
Published April 02, 2011
LOS ANGELES -- A savage beating by two men outside Dodgers Stadium has left a San Francisco Giants fan hospitalized and police urging any witnesses to step forward to help identify the attackers.
The beating after Thursday's season opener between the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers left the victim in critical but stable condition.
Police late Friday released composite sketches of the two suspects, who were wearing Dodgers clothing. Investigators were also checking to see if any security camera captured the attack, but Detective Larry Burcher said so far they'd found "nothing of great value."
"We're very confident there were witnesses, it happened immediately following the game when everybody was coming out," Burcher said.
Police said the two men began taunting three men in Giants gear with expletives as thousands of baseball fans left the stadium after Thursday night's 2-1 Dodger victory, Detective T.J. Moore said.
The Giants fans tried to distance themselves from their assailants, and two made it away from them, but one was struck with fists on the back of the head and as he fell, his head hit the ground in Parking Lot 2 on the third base side of the ballpark, Moore said.
Both attackers then kicked the victim, who suffered a head injury, and ran, Moore said. The suspects fled in a four-door sedan driven by a woman with a male child passenger in the vehicle, Moore said.
When the victim's friends turned around to look for him, they saw him on the ground and made their way back to him.
Police paramedics on bicycles were the first to arrive to help the victim. An ambulance was called and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, Moore said.
The victim's name wasn't released, but KGO radio in San Francisco and the Santa Cruz Sentinel identified him as Bryan Stow of Santa Cruz. His brother-in-law, David Collins, told KGO that Stow has severe head injuries.
"It's sad," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday's game against the Dodgers. "It's a shame somebody's in critical condition because of a ball game. When they're out fighting in the parking lot, we've lost sight of what this is all about. Sounds like the guy got blindsided, too."
The Dodgers said they were co-operating with investigators and wished the victim a speedy recovery.
"It is extremely unfortunate that this incident took place on what was otherwise a great day at Dodger Stadium for tens of thousands of fans," the team said in a statement. "We're committed to having the most fan and family friendly environment in baseball and will continue to make that a top priority."
The stadium has been plagued by opening day violence in the past.
In April 2009, a man stabbed his friend in the stadium parking lot after the home opener, in which the Dodgers. Arthur Alvarez said he acted in self defense and was acquitted by a jury.
The West Coast rivalry began on April 18, 1958, the first game played in California after both teams had moved from New York. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6-5 in a game played before nearly 79,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
"I was disappointed," new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about the Thursday attack. "You don't want to see that. Everyone likes rivalries, but to me that's crossing the line."
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Having an incident like this take place during a sporting event [even before or after the game as people are going to and from the stadium] is completely senseless.
If the two attackers are gang members who put a beat down on the victim as part of the requirements of being in a gang, they should be arrested, tried, convicted and locked away.
If the two attackers are not gang members and instead are just average guys whose love for the Dodgers and hatred for the Giants is so great that they believe that putting a beatdown on a Giants fan is OK, because any fan of the Giants who shows up at Dodger stadium in Giants clothing "deserves it", the also should be arrested, tried, convicted and locked away.
That was my first thought too!...
In all seriousness though, as sad as this story is, I'm a little surprised how much play this is getting nationally. I know of at least two incidents involving Boston teams that were just as bad, if not worse, that I don't think got this kind of attention. One involved Red Sox/Yankee fans where a Red Sox fan died after a group of Sox fans were berating a Yankee fan, who then got in a car and ran down one of the Sox fans. The other involved a group a Bruins fans beating a Montreal fan nearly to death. This kind of stuff happens more often than it should, and its unfortunate.
On a related note back in the 80's, during college, my buddy got popped in the jaw walking through the parking lot at the Stick with his Dodger's jacket on. The Giant's fan walked up to him, said "I hate the f__ ing Dodgers" and popped him in the jaw. THAT was one of my first introductions to the "rivalry."
<< <i>Anybody that knows Dodger fan and Giant fan KNOWS this was not likely a passionate Dodger fan but rather just some drunk piece of trash. >>
Absolutely correct. "True" Dodger fans are already gone before the game's over.
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Exactly. As a real Dodger fan I would have left early because I knew I had that game won and would take 3 out of 4 for the series. It's a small victory but things are slowly looking up in LA!