Giants fan beaten at Dodger Stadium in coma, identified as paramedic

The Giants fan who was severely beaten at the end of the Dodgers home opener Thursday is a Santa Cruz paramedic and the father of two children.

Bryan Stow, 42, hit his head on the pavement during the attack and is in a medically induced coma, family members told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

"He's not doing too well," brother-in-law David Collins told the paper. "He's still unconscious and they just decided to put him in a medically induced coma. They are hoping the brain swelling will go down, but it hasn't and they are talking about removing one of his frontal lobes."

The Los Angeles Police Department released sketches of two suspects in the attack.

"The man suffered a serious head injury during the assault after the game,'' said LAPD Sgt. Sanford Rosenberg, watch commander at the Northeast Station.

Rosenberg said the victim was one of three Giants fans who were attacked in the parking lot by the two unidentified men wearing Dodgers clothing. The unprovoked attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. in Parking Lot 2 when two assailants approached three victims in Giants apparel.

The two men attacked the three victims, kicking and punching them and shouting expletives about the Giants as they delivered the blows, Rosenberg said.

The incident was witnessed by several fans, he said. The assailants fled as people tried to assist the injured man, he said. Police said the incident was captured on a security camera video and witnesses have provided details about the assailants, including a distinctive tattoo.

A Dodgers spokesman said the team is taking the incident seriously.

"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. We're committed to having the most fan- and family-friendly environment in baseball and will continue to make that a top priority," said Josh Rawitch, the Dodgers' vice president of communications. "We are cooperating fully with authorities during their investigation and we wish this fan a speedy recovery."

-- Richard Winton and Shelby Grad

 

Images: Sketches of two suspects being sought in the Dodger Stadium attack. Credit: Los Angeles Police Department

 

Comments

[T]

Most media outlets have tried to describe the attack as "sports rivalry." Yeah, the attackers were wearing Dodgers clothing and the victim was wearing Giants clothing. So this was obviously a case of overzealous fans supporting their team! Repellent morons.

[Jovi Girl]

Thank you, Dodger fans, for showing some class here and speaking out against this...I know that 99.9% of you would NEVER condone this kind of violence, as would 99.9% of SF fans...no matter how heated the rivalry, this is NEVER okay...

We SF fans are praying for the victim's recovery and for his family. We are also praying for the aprehension/full prosecution of these bottom feeders for attempted murder (and hopefully not murder). They are inhuman scum.

[lakerman]

BOYCOTT THE DODGERS!!!!

[Jon]

I think the Dodgers should pay for all his medical expenses and beyond. This is another catastrophic failure of a So. Cal. baseball team to protect fans regardless of what the cause. I live in Anaheim and a couple of years ago, we had a fan attacked in a stairwell that hit his head on the edge of a cement and steel stair and died. Of course in our case, Anaheim PD had the suspects in custody and for some reason, simply released them.

The Dodgers need to make this right. Especially tragic as this guy worked every day to help save the lives of others. This is one guy society could not afford to lose.

[True Patriot1]

Reduce the thug and violence factor in LA professional sports or no more teams. We don't need a football team downtown or anywhere.

Dodgers, the decent thing to do would be to, at least, cover this poor man's medical bills. May Brian Stow make a full recovery!

[Peter]

This is why LA SUCKS and why I NEVER go to Dodgers games. NO security and tons of cowardly violent punks playing gangster because they aren't man enough to act like real humans. How tough is it to act violently? Any coward can attack someone else like an animal, weak pathetic scum.
Other cities teams manage to get along and have a great time even among rivalry.
LA..not so.

[stwsr]

So does everyone still like the idea of an NFL stadium built downtown? Football fans are traditionally louder and rowdier than baseball. Remember what happened at the Rose Bowl earlier this year?

How come no one is talking about this???

[LA Sucks]

Since the Dodger Organization won't provide adequate security and becuase the people of LA don't have enough class to step in and prevent this from happening, I propose that we assemble a small army of Giants fans to patrol Dodger Stadium parking lot. If anyone is approached, we'll converge on the thug and teach him a lesson.

[Mike]

This tragedy is not surprising considering these animals are probably among the many who drop out of the city's failed school district. Makes the people of Los Angeles look really bad!!! My prayers are for this victim's recovery.

[Mike]

This tragedy is not surprising considering these animals are probably among the many who drop out of the city's failed school district. Makes the people of Los Angeles look really bad!!! My prayers are for this victim's recovery.

[Jim ONeill]

Gangsta music, gangsta lifestyle, gangsta behaviour. Dont you people get it? Rap and Hip Hop Culture is Prison Culture. Lock them up and leave them there to rot.

[Walter]

If the offer the girl (driver) immunity and 100,000 they will get them

[Nate]

These men are a disgrace to Dodger fans and the fine organization that is the Dodgers.

[Troubled]

The problem lies with the city of L.A. and the Dodger's organization. They had an effective system in controlling the thugs that frequent the games. The Dodger's previously hired off duty uniformed LAPD officers to support their security staff during the games, which was extremely effective. Our elected officials saw an opportunity to scam the Dodger's by coming up with a scheme to control all off-duty work by officers, taking a cut from the Dodger's and then paying it's officers afterwards at a smaller pay rate. Obviously the Dodger's were not going to be extorted by the City of L.A. and discontinued the practice of hiring off-duty uniformed officers and the subsequent deplorable incidents have occurred. I will never go to a Dodger's game with my family because the Dodger's and the City of L.A. have failed to make it a safe enviroment.

[blueberry]

"Give 'em 20 years in the electric chair"

[John In Covina]

I find it interesting that so many people are holding the Dodger organization responsible for the injuries to the Giants fan and make NO mention of the fact that the actual culprits are animals that are the products of the the society created, supported and maintained by the Left.

[zoe]

Dodger Fans are like school on a Saturday; NO CLASS!!

[Sports Fan]

Troubled,

You are partly correct, but you know as well as I that off-duty officers, while better than none at all, are almost a waste. The only solution is that ON DUTY officers be assigned either OT or factored into deployment. Either way it's far more expensive for the Dodgers. Off duty officers don't have communication to dispatch, don't have direct communication to available Department resources, do not have less lethal tools and tend not to get involved, because to do so would bring about the type of attention that will preclude you from getting the next shift.

Nothing like a few black and whites with light flashing and some gang members in handcuffs. It will clean up Dodger Stadium instantly!

AEG is not any better.

The management of both have this arrogant attitude that having police around is bad for their image. Go to New York, Boston, etc. They have police everywhere. Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx for god's sake and is very safe!

[Joe Schmoe]

So let me get this straight. A bunch of guys get paid way too much money to either throw a ball or to hit a ball with a stick and a bunch of other guys get worked up because some people like different guys who also throw balls and/ or hit them with sticks. And it's worth getting so worked up about that that some guys feel the need to beat other guys into comas?

[jackt]

what a complete embarrasment for the city of l.a. this is exactly why i do not, or ever will take my family to a dodger game, and i am a dodger fan!? really, these idiots are not REAL dodger fans. i can assure not one of these morons could tell you how many world series the dodgers have won, or who is sandy koufax etc. the dodgers need to leave dodger stadium. you know, the average ticket price to see a red sox game is about 55 bucks. that's more than what these low lifes make in a week, when they're not in jail! build a nice new ball park near staples, where the police keep the riff raff away, charge 70 bucks a game. problem solved.

[Zac]

I can't smoke a bowl in my car while in the dodger stadium parking lot without security rolling up on me, but this can happen? get your priorities right america.

[Sophie]

This is part of the reason I see no point in attending a Dodger game. Having alcohol at sporting events is a stupid tradition, in my opinion. At least at Staples Center, you feel safe.

[Baseball Fan]

I live in LA and am a fan of an out of town, east coast baseball team, where I grew up. I would never wear my team's jersey to an opposing team's stadium back on the east coast, because that would be asking for trouble. When I came out to LA, I thought the fans would be a little more laid back and that my two young sons could wear the team jerseys and caps they are so excited to wear, because no one would bother little kids. After reading about this incident, there is no way I am letting my sons wear their out of town jerseys and caps. All it takes is some drunk gang-banger and my kids could be getting shot or run over for the hat they have on. Other than the seats right next to the field, it really does not feel safe to go to a "Doyers" game, and the Dodgers marketing is going more and more in that direction, including the new "Doyers Dogs" and t-shirts that actually say "Los Doyers." I can't even imagine how bad it must have been at Raiders games.

[sammy]

Outlaw Beer sales at Dodger Stadium.

[Jose Hernandez]

People are exaggerating! Yes, it's unfortunate that this incident occurred, but believe me that going to a Dodger game is safe...and please no generalizations. It seems that whenever these types of incidents occur people are fast to make racist statements about the Hispanic community and in particular Mexican-Americans. The majority of Mexicans living in LA are good, hard-working, law abiding, and family oriented just like any other ethnic group. Every group has its bad apples.